CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Two men were sentenced Thursday for their actions that damaged a mine and on-site property.
Ricky Sprouse, 53, of Naoma received a nine-month prison sentence, while 55-year-old Stuart Dotson of Mount Hope received a one-year sentence.
The men previously admitted to stealing multiple pieces of specialized mining equipment from a known mine in Boone and Lincoln counties in 2019. The actions caused the mine operators to close the site for two weeks as the equipment could not be used without the stolen pieces. The thefts also caused hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage to the mine.
Sprouse and Dotson pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the destruction of an energy facility. The men face three years of supervised release following their time in prison.