{Beckley,West Virginia}...Federal prosecutors want a 60 day delay in the sentencing of Gary May, the former superintendent of the Upper Big Branch Mine. U.S. District Judge Irene Berger had scheduled May's sentencing for August 9th in Beckley, but Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Ruby wants to postpone it, saying May is cooperating in an ongoing criminal investigation of the April 2010 explosion that killed 29 coal miners, and investigators need more time to fully develop that cooperation. Ruby says May doesn't object to the delay. May pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy to defraud the federal government. Several investigations concluded workers routinely alerted miners underground when inspectors were onsite, allowing time to conceal hazards. During May's plea hearing, he suggested that Mine Safety and Health Administration inspectors participated in the mine's early warning system.
