CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Logan County Sheriff’s Department is being notified that it will be named as a defendant in civil lawsuits being prepared that allege a state police trooper sexually assaulted two women in Logan County in 2021.
Charleston attorney Dante DiTrapano said during an appearance Thursday on MetroNews “Talkline” that the first rape victim told a Logan County deputy about what happened to her in July 2021 but the deputy allegedly told her not to “screw with the brotherhood.”
“It’s our belief that had this particular deputy stepped up and done what he was supposed to do as a law enforcement officer after the July 2021 incident that the December 2021 incident would have never happened—so they (Logan County Sheriff’s Department) will be included in both lawsuits,” DiTrapano said on “Talkline.”
Those lawsuits will be filed later this month, DiTrapano and Charleston attorney Jesse Forbes have already put the state on notice that the legal action is coming. The lawsuit claiming the same trooper drugged and then sexually assaulted a woman in December 2021 was prepared initially and then the second woman came forward in recent days describing similar circumstances earlier that year, DiTrapano said.
“She’s very courageous coming forward at this point and I think the fact that we already sent a letter of intent on the second case gave her the impetus to come forward and say, ‘me too, this happened,'” DiTrapano said.
DiTrapano and Forbes notified the Logan County Sheriff’s Department by the end of business Thursday. They also made two FOIA requests.
Dante DiTrapano, Attorney, is representing two women who say they were raped by a state trooper. What is the latest on this? Dante shares the latest with @HoppyKercheval. WATCH: https://t.co/yCFQ3nEhk6 pic.twitter.com/OOx9TWwTv3
— MetroNews (@WVMetroNews) April 6, 2023
It’s alleged the trooper approached the woman at the Front Room Bar & Grill in Logan and and later forced her into a vehicle. It’s alleged the trooper put something into the woman’s drink. The December 2021 case happened after the trooper approached the woman at American Legion Post 19 club in Logan, where she was also drugged and later sexually assaulted, DiTrapano alleges.
The trooper is currently on administrative leave. There have been no criminal charges. The FBI is conducting an investigation. DiTrapano said the agency was notified after the December 2021 incident when the victim went to Women and Children’s Hospital in Charleston where a rape kit was used in her examination. A victim’s advocate contacted the FBI.
When asked about the rape investigation Wednesday, Gov. Jim Justice said it’s a federal investigation.
“Understand the FBI is involved. The FBI is handling that investigation and as far as the details, I can’t disclose anything right now. That’s being handled by the FBI and that;s where it should be,” Justice said.
Justice was the first to discuss the the December 2021. He did so at a media briefing last month.
DiTrapano called what happened to the two women “vile.”
“Any time a person in control, authority and power, exploit somebody, whether it’s a citizen, an inmate or somebody like that, I think it needs to be dealt with,” he said.
DiTrapano said there are a lot of good state police troopers in West Virginia but not all.
“What we’re doing is trying to shine a light on a couple of bad actors,” he said.
The letters detailing the intent to sue have been delivered to the Department of Military Affairs, Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Jeff Sandy, State Police Interim Superintendent Lt. Col. Jack Chambers, State Police Chief of Staff Jim Mitchell, State Police general counsel John Hoyer and West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey.