The first criminal charges have been handed up in the Upper Big Branch investigation. The mine's head of security has been charged with lying to the FBI and MSHA.
Hughie Elbert Stover, chief of security at the Upper Big Branch mine and at two other Massey operations, was indicted on charges of making false statements to federal agents and obstructing a federal investigation by trying to dispose of key documents. The indictment, returned last week by a federal grand jury in Charleston, W.Va., was unsealed Monday after Stover was arrested at his home.
Stover reportedly told security guards to alert miners when federal inspectors were on the way, and lied about doing so. Such advance notice would have given miners time to cover up any violations. He told federal investigators that any security guard doing this would be fired on the spot. However, the feds have found evidence that he personally trained security guards to warn miners that an inspector was coming.
Stover also faces charges of obstructing justice. He reportedly ordered someone to destroy thousands of documents stored near the mine.
This might very well be the start of something good. Stover is pretty high up on the food chain--if they're already teeing up big fish, more charges could be coming.