West Virginia Resident Sentenced for Decade-Long Theft of Black Lung Benefits

A Hancock County man has been sentenced to probation after admitting to unlawfully collecting tens of thousands of dollars in Black Lung benefits over the course of nearly a decade. The federal case highlights a long-running scheme involving fraudulent claims made on behalf of a deceased beneficiary.

Gary Barber, 75, of Weirton, West Virginia, was sentenced to three years of probation in federal court for theft of public funds. Court records show that the benefits were originally awarded to Barber’s father, a coal miner, and were later transferred to Barber’s mother after her husband’s death. When Barber’s mother became unable to manage her affairs, Barber was designated as the payee for the funds.

After his mother’s passing, Barber continued to collect the benefits, submitting false monthly reports claiming that the money was still being used for her care. This scheme went undetected for nearly ten years, during which he fraudulently obtained $85,604 from the U.S. Trust Fund.

In addition to probation, Barber has been ordered to repay the full amount. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Conklin and investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors, based upon information from a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of West Virginia

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