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CHARLESTON - A former state official involved in West Virginia's COVID-19 testing program pleaded guilty Monday to lying to federal investigators looking into the spending of millions of dollars on COVID-19 testing.
During a hearing before U.S. District Judge Thomas Johnston Monday morning in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, Timothy Priddy, 49, of Buffalo, pleaded guilty to making false statements.
According to court documents, Priddy - the former director of the state Department of Health's Center for Threat Preparedness – pleaded not guilty last October to four counts of making false statements to federal investigators and a grand jury during a review of COVID-19 testing invoices between the state and an unidentified vendor. A trial had been set for Dec. 19, but a motion was made Jan. 9 to schedule a plea hearing.
According to the indictment, the company received about $45 million in federal COVID-19 funds for 500,000 COVID test kits while only reporting 50,000 test results during a two-year period between 2020 and 2022.
As part of his plea, Priddy admitted to lying to federal investigators about the verification of invoices made during his time as director and deputy director of the Center for Threat Preparedness within what was formerly known as the Department of Health and Human Resources. Priddy was asked by investigators about specific invoices to the state for COVID-19 testing.
Under questioning, Priddy confirmed to agents he was aware of their investigation into the vendor for alleged fraudulent billing and information regarding the invoices was pivotal to the investigation. One set of invoices was for the state's COVID-19 testing program in public schools during the winter of 2021.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia, Priddy would certify the vendor's invoices without verifying the accuracy of the invoices. When questioned, Priddy said he certified the invoices only after two other individuals managing the K-12 public school testing program verified the information on the invoices, which Priddy later admitted was a lie.
"After completely failing to verify invoices seeking tens of millions of public dollars, Mr. Priddy significantly affected an important investigation into that spending with his false statement," said U.S. Attorney Will Thompson in a statement Monday.
"No matter your job or status in the community, it is a federal crime to lie to the FBI," said acting Special Agent in Charge Mike Shanahan. "Priddy lied to the FBI during a critical moment in the investigation. This conviction should serve as a reminder that those who lie to federal agents will face serious criminal consequences for their actions."
Priddy could face up to five years in prison, three years of supervised probation, and a $25,000 fine. Other entities involved in the investigation include the IRS, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the West Virginia Legislature's Commission on Special Investigations.