Darrin McCormick
WILLIAMSON, W.Va. – Less than 24 hours after Darrin McCormick tendered his resignation as mayor of Williamson, U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin Tuesday charged McCormick, 50, with making a materially false statement in a federal matter.
McCormick, who resigned effective April 30 during a special City Council meeting held Monday evening, read a statement he had prepared announcing his intention to resign, but did not give a reason.
Speculation and rumors have followed the mayor over the last few months, after a suspension with pay from the manager’s position with the Williamson Branch of the Bank of Mingo followed a federal investigation into possible wrongdoing in a case that already has sent several others to federal prison.
McCormick had been suspended with pay for nearly a year, then, according to bank sources, was terminated.
According to the charge, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Charleston, McCormick’s false statement pertains to suspicious banking activity by Aracoma Contracting, LLC, which held an account at the Williamson Branch of the Bank of Mingo. The charge explains that McCormick’s false statement concerned a matter within the jurisdiction of the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service.
“Federal investigations are serious matters,” Goodwin said, “and providing false information to federal investigators is a serious crime. When people try to lead investigators astray with false statements, justice suffers, and that hurts all of us.”
Tuesday’s charge stems from an investigation being conducted by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Ryan is handling the prosecution.
McCormick’s resignation letter reads…
