Plea hearing date set for suspended Mingo County judge

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Suspended Mingo County Circuit Judge Michael Thornsbury will plead guilty to a federal information next Wednesday.

A plea hearing is scheduled for Oct. 2 in U.S. District Court in Charleston.

Last week, an information was filed against Thornsbury that alleges Thornsbury worked with several other elected officials in Mingo County to protect late Mingo County Sheriff Eugene Crum.  An information usually indicates a defendant is cooperating with investigators.

Federal prosecutors claim Thornsbury promised a lighter sentence to Crum’s alleged drug dealer, earlier this year, if the man fired his attorney and stopped talking to investigators with the FBI about Crum.

Originally, Thornsbury had been accused of illegally using his judicial power to target the husband of his ex-mistress over a period of years.  That federal charge will be dropped.  It is being replaced with the more recent charge.

Crum was shot and killed while eating his lunch near the Mingo County Courthouse in April.