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MARTINSBURG - A former employee of the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office has admitted her role in a years‑long fraud and embezzlement scheme that targeted vulnerable individuals and public funds, U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced today.
Lisa Lee French, 48, of Martinsburg, admitted that between 2007 and October 2024, she conspired to steal cash payments collected by the Sheriff's Office and to manipulate conservatorship and estate accounts overseen by the office. French acknowledged issuing fraudulent checks, forging signatures, misusing a sheriff's signature stamp, and diverting funds for her personal benefit.
"Fraud on this scale harms not only those directly targeted, but the entire Berkeley County community. We are committed to ensuring accountability and protecting the integrity of our public offices," Harvey said.
The victims include Berkeley County taxpayers, individuals under conservatorship, and the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office itself.
According to court documents, the scheme involved more than 700 fraudulent transactions, over 550 of them forged checks, connected to at least 59 conservator bank accounts. In total, the fraud amounted to nearly $3 million.
French has agreed to pay $2,737,932 in restitution to the identified victims.
A second defendant, Barbara Gail Gooden, is awaiting trial on March 23, 2027.
Senior Litigation Counsel Andrew Cogar is prosecuting the case. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office, and the West Virginia State Auditor's Office.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the formation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ("Fraud Division"), which focuses on investigating and prosecuting fraud against the American public. This effort supports the President's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole‑of‑government initiative chaired by the Vice President to address fraud, waste, and abuse in federal benefit programs.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.