Judge admonishes former sheriff's deputy "to right your ship"

Nov. 16—Before sentencing a former sheriff's deputy for the theft of over $100,000 from a business in which he had an ownership stake, a Raleigh County judge admonished him "to right your ship."

Roger David Utt, 36, of Raleigh County pleaded guilty to the charge of obtaining money, property and services by false pretenses, a felony, in Raleigh County Circuit Court Judge H.L. Kirkpatrick's courtroom.

Utt was charged with taking more than $100,000 from a company he had an ownership stake in to pay for tech items, a golf cart, child care and more.

According to court documents filed with Raleigh County Circuit Court in October, Utt defrauded Cramer Security and Investigations Inc. of $107,312.50 between January 2020 and January 2021.

During the court proceeding, which lasted about 30 minutes, Wyoming County Prosecuting Attorney Greg Bishop said Utt defrauded Greg Darby and Michael Beasley of Cramer Security and Investigations by "unlawfully and feloniously purchasing property and services including a home security system, iPads, smartphones, (smart) watches, a golf cart, child care, a bail bond, a firearm and tires and rims."

Darby is the president of Cramer Security and Investigations and is president of Little General Stores Inc., according to West Virginia Secretary of State's Office records.

Cramer Security and Investigations is a private investigation firm based in Beckley.

Bishop and Wyoming County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Miller were appointed as special prosecutors for the case because of a conflict of interest for Raleigh County Prosecuting Attorney Ben Hatfield who personally knew and had worked with those involved in the case.

As part of the plea agreement, in lieu of paying back the money he took, Utt will be required to return all stock and ownership interests in Cramer Security and Investigations.

Bishop said Utt will also relinquish his ownership stake in the company as part of the plea agreement.

Also, Utt be placed on supervised probation for 12 months instead of the sentence detailed in state code, which is one to ten years.

Kirkpatrick accepted the alternative sentencing for Utt. The judge then closed the plea hearing and sentencing by addressing Utt directly.

"Mr. Utt, I won't lecture you," Kirkpatrick said. "I know of you. I know you a little bit. I think you appeared in this courtroom ... and when you made that appearance you did so as a deputy sheriff of Raleigh County. You were a respected person at that time, and I know that for certain. I don't know what's happened in your life. I don't know what all has occurred. But obviously you got to right your ship. You have to get things straightened out and get on the right path."

James Sheatsley, an attorney representing Cramer Security and Investigations, was also present Wednesday in the courtroom. When asked if he had anything to say on behalf of the firm he represents, Sheatsley said he had no comment.

Also present in the courtroom were some of the state troopers who handled the investigation, including Sgt. L.K. Boytek, 1st Sgt. S.E. Wolfe and 1st Sgt. J.M Parde, who are all part of the Bureau of Criminal Investigations for the West Virginia state police.

Information regarding the investigation into Utt was not available as of press time Wednesday evening.

This is not the first time Utt has faced criminal charges.

Utt has charges pending from Horry County, South Carolina, for first-degree domestic violence, a felony, and third-degree assault and battery, for an incident that occurred in Myrtle Beach in June 2021.

According to the Horry County Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Public Index, which can be found online, the last action taken on the case was a consent order filed March 14.

This site also lists Utt's case as "pending."