Morgantown Man Charged with Theft of Federal Broadband Funding

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - The owner of Clearfiber, Inc., an internet service provider in Monongalia County, has been charged with money laundering.

Timothy Chad Henson, 35, of Morgantown, West Virginia, allegedly defrauded the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). According to court documents, the USDA's Community Connect Program offered grants to eligible applicants providing broadband services to rural areas. On behalf of Clearfiber, Henson applied and was awarded $1.96 million to offer high-speed internet services in Monongalia and Marion Counties. Henson submitted false invoices to the USDA to receive more than $340,000. Henson then transferred $322,900 into another bank account for his personal use.

Henson faces up to 10 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Henson is scheduled for an initial appearance on May 29 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Wagner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations.

An information is merely an allegation, and each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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