CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A former state Division of Highways worker was sentenced to three years probation Monday by a federal judge after an earlier guilty plea in connection with an expense report scheme.
Steven Hull, 54, of Jane Lew, entered a guilty plea in February to mail fraud, admitting to inflating expenses between January 2011 and January 2017. Hull, who worked as an engineering technician, admitted while he did have to stay overnight at hotels as part of his job, he falsely reported the number of nights he stayed and the amount of money he paid for lodging.
Prosecutors said one example was beginning in June 2014, Hull reported he was staying at a Holiday Inn when he was actually renting a room from a less expensive hotel on monthly basis.
U.S. District Judge John Copenhaver sentenced Hull to three years probation and a $5,000 fine. He was also ordered to pay $52,500 in restitution, which he paid in full Monday.
State Department of Transportation Secretary Tom Smith released a statement Monday. He said the DOH’s internal controls turned up Hull’s wrongdoing and alerted the Commission on Special Investigations.
“As WVDOH continues to administer Governor Justice’s Roads to Prosperity program, the agency recognizes, now more than ever, the significant role integrity and public trust plays in operating any public agency,” Smith said. “The Justice Administration is committed to uprooting public corruption through a zero-tolerance response and will continue to address such matters swiftly and in cooperation with our law enforcement partners.”