MARTINSBURG, W.Va. – A former employee of the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office has admitted her role in a years‑long fraud and embezzlement scheme that targeted vulnerable individuals and public funds, U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced Tuesday.
Lisa Lee French, 48, of Martinsburg, admitted that between 2007 and October 2024, she conspired to steal cash payments collected by the Sheriff’s Office and to manipulate conservatorship and estate accounts overseen by the office. French acknowledged issuing fraudulent checks, forging signatures, misusing a sheriff’s signature stamp and diverting funds for her personal benefit.
“Fraud on this scale harms not only those directly targeted, but the entire Berkeley County community. We are committed to ensuring accountability and protecting the integrity of our public offices,” said Harvey.
The victims include Berkeley County taxpayers, individuals under conservatorship and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office itself.
According to court documents, the scheme involved more than 700 fraudulent transactions, over 550 of them forged checks, connected to at least 59 conservator bank accounts. In total, the fraud amounted to nearly $3 million.
French has agreed to pay $2,737,932 in restitution to the identified victims.
A second defendant, Barbara Gail Gooden, is awaiting trial on March 23, 2027. Read our June story on the indictment here.
Senior Litigation Counsel Andrew Cogar is prosecuting the case. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Community Bulletin
Women's health care is available close to home at four central West Virginia clinics through Vandalia Health — the not-for-profit founded by the Davis family more than a century ago, whose Foundation still funds local scholarships and programs. Read more →
This story brought to you paywall-free, courtesy of the My Buckhannon team and our community partners
