OCEANA, WV (WVNS) – Melissa Jewell, of Oceana, pled guilty in August to one count of Fraud by Use of an Access Device.

On December 2, 2022, Jewell was sentenced to one to ten years in prison for this charge.

Gregory Bishop, Wyoming County Prosecutor spoke about the case.

“The conclusion of this case has been long time coming” said Bishop, “we are pleased to see Jewell behind bars for this crime. While violent crime usually grabs headlines, we take white collar crime seriously and will not tolerate it in Wyoming County.”

Gregory Bishop, Wyoming County Prosecutor

Derek Laxton, Wyoming County Assistant Prosecutor, served as lead prosecutor in the case. Trooper First Class Lucas of the West Virginia State Police investigated the crime. Bishop wished to thank the hard and thorough work of Assistant Prosecutor Derek Laxton and the entire prosecutor staff along with Trooper First Class Lucas and the West Virginia State Police.

“Without the combined effort of professionals such as these my job would be impossible.”

Gregory Bishop, Wyoming County