BERKELEY COUNTY, W.Va. — Melissa Joanna Beavers, the former deputy clerk in Berkeley County, has been sentenced to up to 40 years in prison for stealing more than $272,000 from the county.
Beavers previously pleaded guilty to felony charges of embezzlement, falsifying accounts, forgery, uttering and three counts of forgery of a public record. Beavers was sentenced on Monday to to six to 40 years in prison and seven years of supervised probation.
Beavers was involved in two different schemes, according to the investigation. In the first scheme, Beavers forged checks from the County Clerk’s office to a company she owned called Beavers Roof Repair. In the scheme, Beavers forged the signature of former Berkeley County Clerk John Small.
In the second scheme, the investigation revealed that Beavers altered records involving cash deposits so she could steal money. Beavers also forged documents related to her divorce proceedings.
Beavers has been ordered to pay north of $300,000 in restitution, including $246,830 to WVCORP.