| By Bob Weaver Judy Hartshorn, the former Director of the Calhoun
County Committee on
Aging, will not be prosecuted although she "took full advantage of the
very people she
was entrusted to help," according to Sgt. John Bonazzo of the West
Virginia State
Police.
Bonazzo said his agency has concluded an investigation on behalf of
the local senior
citizen's agency. "The FBI was contacted and has concurred with the
results of this
investigation," he said. The investigation revealed extensive internal
mismanagement
by Hartshorn as well as oversight problems with the Board.
He said much of the mismanagement by Hartshorn "could easily be
construed as
criminal, but failed to reach the high standards required by the
criminal justice
system for a successful prosecution. This largely can be attributed to
the fact that
much of the Director's actions were done with the tacit approval or
oversight of the
Board of Directors."
Mike Ritchie, the new Director of CCCOA, said his Board had left it up
to the
authorities whether to proceed with charges against Hartshorn. "We are
now about
the future of the center," he said. "We are working hard at doing the
right things for
this community."
The State Police report concluded there was an accountability problem.
Many of the
problems uncovered could have been prevented had the Board of
Directors at the
time exercised more control over daily operations, including those of
the former
Director.
Hathshorn resigned her position in April, 1999, the subject of
allegations of stealing or
misuse of center funds. She first offered to step down to a lesser
position, then
tendered her resignation to the 12 member board.
Bonazzo said another main factor prohibiting successful prosecution is
the statue of
limitations have expired on many of the uncovered discrepancies. He
said "Many of
the former director's actions were not uncovered until recently when
the criminal
investigation was initiated, which is some cases was two or three
years after the
fact."
Hathshorn had been accused of using materials purchased for a new
addition to the
Grantsville's center in the construction of her new home on Pleasant
Hill, among other
abuses of the agencies equipment and funds.
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