Former West Virginia Official pleads guilty to making a false statement
BUFFALO, WV (WVNS) — A former West Virginia Official pleaded guilty to making a false statement regarding COVID-19 testing invoices.
49-year-old Timothy Priddy, of Buffalo, West Virginia, admitted to lying to federal investigators about COVID-19 testing invoice verifications when he was a West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (WVDHHR) official.
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According to court documents, Priddy was the WVDHHR’s Center for Threat Preparedness Director when he was interviewed by federal agents on August 2, 2022. He was also a former Deputy Director, whose job in that position included things such as verifying and reviewing the accuracy of invoices that were sent to the WVDHHR by vendors who supplied COVID-19 testing and mitigation services before verifying the invoices for payments.
Priddy was asked by federal agents about invoices that were sent in by a specific vendor who billed the State of West Virginia for tens of millions of dollars for COVID-19 testing and other related services.
After completely failing to verify invoices seeking tens of millions of public dollars, Mr. Priddy significantly affected an important investigation into that spending with his false statement.
Will Thompson | United States Attorney
Furthermore, Priddy revealed that he knew that the vendor was being investigated by federal agents for suspected fraudulent billing, and that information related to the invoices and following payment was relative to the investigation. One set of invoices that were of interest to the federal investigation were connected to a COVID-19 testing program for K-12 students, faculty, and staff who were coming back to school after winter break.
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Priddy confirmed that the K-12 testing invoices were correct without further investigating their accuracy. He then incorrectly told federal agents that he certified the relevant invoices once two people who worked with the K-12 testing program confirmed them. Priddy further revealed that he knew it was a false statement.
No matter your job or status in the community, it is a federal crime to lie to the FBI. Priddy lied to the FBI during a critical moment in the investigation. This conviction should serve as a reminder that those who lie to federal agents will face serious criminal consequences for their actions.
Mike Shanahan | Acting Special Agent in Charge
Priddy’s sentencing is scheduled for May 9, 2024, and he faces up to five years in prison, three years of probation, and a $250,000 fine.
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The announcement was made by United States Attorney Will Thompson, who praised the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), West Virginia Legislature’s Commission on Special Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their work on the investigation.
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