CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Clay County Sheriff Miles “Mike” Slack is facing federal wiretapping charges for allegedly trying to track activity on his ex-wife’s work computer.
His ex-wife, identified only as “Victim L.S.” in court filings, works in the Clay County Magistrate’s Office so her computer was owned and maintained through the state Supreme Court of Appeals.
U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin said Slack installed a hidden keystroke logger on the woman’s computer in late April of this year when the two were still married and it stayed in place for more than two weeks, allowing messages and data to be intercepted.
With the device, everything that was typed was tracked. At this point, investigators are not talking publicly about what Slack was trying to find out using his ex-wife’s computer activities.
“This was a statute designed in the era of telephones, but now the technology has evolved and it applies equally to these sorts of communications,” said Goodwin.
Goodwin was a guest on Monday’s MetroNews “Hotline” shortly after charges against Slack, who took office in January of this year, were filed.
“Whenever you have an alleged violation of the law by a public official, it’s troubling,” said Goodwin. “But when it is a person who’s sworn to protect and serve, to uphold the law, it’s particularly troubling.”
The charges came out of an investigation that involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation, State Police and the state Supreme Court. It’s an information filing which usually indicates a defendant is cooperating with investigators.
Despite the charges, Slack’s former wife, in a statement released Monday evening, said Slack is still a good man.
If convicted of federal wiretapping, Slack could be sentenced to five years in prison.