Former Fire Department Administrator Sentenced for Embezzlement

A former cabinet secretary of the West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance has been sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison for embezzling from a volunteer fire department where he handled financial affairs. Clifford Keith Gwinn of Hurricane was sentenced Monday in federal court after admitting to embezzling nearly $179,000 from the Teays Valley Volunteer Fire Department. He also pleaded guilty to a tax crime. He agreed to pay restitution to the fire department and its insurer along with more than $68,000 to the Internal Revenue Service. Gwinn was veterans assistance secretary from 2011 to 2013.