W.Va. Division Of Highways Administrator Indicted On False Statement Charge

1125 Chapline Street, Federal Building, Suite 3000 ● Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 234-0100 ● Contact: Chris Zumpetta-Parr, Public Affairs Specialist

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – An administrator with the state Division of Highways has been charged with making a false statement to a federal agent.

United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced that EDWARD MATTHEW TUTTLE, 38 years old, of Buckhannon, West Virginia, was indicted by a federal grand jury this week on one count of "False Statement to a Federal Agent." TUTTLE is charged with making materially false statements last month to an F.B.I. agent who questioned him as part of an ongoing federal investigation into the Equipment Division of the West Virginia Division of Highways. TUTTLE currently serves as the Highway Administrator for WVDOH in Upshur County, and formerly served as a supervisor with the Equipment Division.

An indictment is merely an accusation and TUTTLE is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. TUTTLE faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if he is convicted. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offense and his prior criminal history, if any.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John C. Parr and was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office Public Corruption Unit. Agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the West Virginia State Police, and the State Commission on Special Investigations are leading the inquiry.