Former Ohio County Magistrate sentenced to prison for tax fraud

WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Former Ohio County Magistrate Harry A. Radcliffe, III, was sentenced today to four months incarceration to be followed by two months of home confinement for tax fraud, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

“Defendants are not treated differently because they are elected officials. In fact, elected officials know better than most people about the rule of law.  We have done our duty and the court has now imposed its sentence.  We will continue to investigate violations of the public trust,” said Powell.

Radcliffe, age 61, pled guilty to one count of “Conspiracy to Impede the Internal Revenue Service” in April 2019. In tax years 2013, 2014, and 2015, Radcliffe accepted a total of approximately $22,000 in cash payments from William W. Seelbach, then owner of W&S Bail Bonding d/b/a A Bail Bonding by ABC (“ABC”), which payments were offered by Mr. Seelbach as bribes.  These payments were made and received in cash, at least in part, in an effort to impede the Internal Revenue Service in the collection of income taxes.  Radcliffe willfully failed to report this income to the Internal Revenue Service, resulting in a total tax loss of $5,500.00.  He also failed to report this extra-judicial income to the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.

Radcliffe was ordered to pay $5,500 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarod J. Douglas and Shawn M. Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations, and the West Virginia State Police investigated.

Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick P. Stamp, Jr. presided.