Woman says past Mason sheriffs mismanaged estate | West Virginia Record

Gina Eads alleges Ernie Watterson, Shorty Huffman, Scott Simms and David Anthony, during their terms are sheriff, transferred more money from the estate of her grandmother, Grace Thornton, for the care of her father, Richard Gaylor, than they were supposed to.

Mason sheriff resigns, pleads to fraud and firearms-related charges | The West Virginia Record

The law enforcement career of one West Virginia sheriff has come to end following his resignation from office, and entering pleas to charges he both endangered the life of his son and defrauded the county.

David Lee Anthony II appeared in Mason Circuit Court March 6 to plead guilty to four charges of the 42-count indictment returned against him in January by the grand jury. In tendering his plea, Anthony, 42, agreed to plead guilty to charges of brandishing, and shooting near a dwelling and no contest to charges of fraudulent scheme and embezzlement, all misdemeanors.

For more on this story, go to The West Virginia Record.

Photo:  Former Mason County Sheriff David Anthony II, foreground, exits the courtroom after entering a plea agreement to four counts of a 42-count indictment returned against him in January. The plea agreement called for Anthony both resigning as sheriff, and dropping his bid for re-election which negated a scheduled hearing next month by a three-judge panel to consider a petition filed by the county comission for his impeachment, and removal from office.

Mason sheriff faces removal effort in midst of criminal charges | The West Virginia Record

Before May's primary election, Mason County Sheriff David Anthony II's bid for re-election will have to successfully run a gauntlet of legal and political trials next month.

The Mason County Commission on Feb. 13 filed a petition in Mason Circuit Court for Anthony's impeachment, and removal as sheriff. The petition cites four counts of malfeasance of office as ground for Anthony's removal that include nearly $2,500 in unauthorized expenditures last year in Florida, his arrest in November for discharging a handgun over the head of his 14-year-old son and applying for and receiving grant money without the Commission's knowledge or consent.

For more on this story, go to The West Virginia Record.

Former Mason deputy gets $24K in back pay following judge's ruling | West Virginia Record

Settlement also allows for Robert Glenn to resign with clean employment record.

Judge reverses Mason deputy's termination | West Virginia Record

Evans issues ruling saying Sheriff Anthony had a clear duty to provide Robert Glenn a pre-disciplinary hearing beforing firing him last March.

Sheriff Anthony accused of wanton endangerment

The man charged with enforcing the law in Mason County has found himself on the wrong side of it this morning.

Sheriff David Anthony has been arrested and charged with wanton endangerment, according to WCHS-TV 8/WVAH-FOX 11.  Troopers from the West Virginia State Police Detachment in Winfield arrested Anthony, 42, and booked him into the Western Regional Jail in Barboursville about 1:30 a.m. 

According to the Regional Jail's Web site, Anthony was still incarrcerated at 9:50 a.m.

Despite most government offices being closed for the Veterans Day holiday, Anthony was expected to be arraigned by a magistrate later today.  Because of the closure, no other information is available about his arrest.

A former Mason County deputy sheriff, Anthony, a Democrat, is in his first term as sheriff.  In 2008, he defeated Point Pleasant Police Chief, and Earnie Watterson, a Republican who previously served as sheriff in the early 1990s, to succeed Scott Simms, who was barred from running again due to already serving two terms.

Aside from the criminal charges, Anthony is also accused of improperly firing Deputy Robert Glenn in March after he, while working as school resource officer at Hannan High School, made an inappropriate comment about a T-shirt worn by Kelsey Williams.

After the county Civil Service Commission upheld Anthony's decision in May, Glenn appealed to Mason Circuit Court.  In his appeal, Glenn argues Anthony did not provide him a pre-disciplinary hearing as required by state law.

A month after Glen filed his appeal to circuit court, the state Supreme Court reversed a Jefferson Circuit judge's ruling upholding that county's civil service commission's decision affirming the firing of a deputy sheriff.  In its ruling, the Court said Sheriff Robert Shirley should have granted Sgt. Michael T. Dodson a pre-disciplinary hearing before firing him in 2009. 

A hearing on Glen's appeal is scheduled Mon. Dec. 12 before Judge Thomas C. Evans III.

Former Mason deputy appeals firing | West Virginia Record

Termination result of alleged comment made on Hannan High School student's T-shirt.