Sheriff J. Warren Basnett has folded his hand and laid down the cards as Sheriff of Calhoun County. According to a report filed on WVMetroNews, (not Ridgeview News), Basnett’s official last day will be Friday, April 30th, 2023. At which point it will be be the Calhoun County Commission’s responsibility to appoint someone in his stead.
The resignation came after Monday’s announcement by Prosecuting Attorney Nigel Jeffries that he would be filing a petition to begin the process of having a three judge panel remove Sheriff Basnett from office. “The actions of the sheriff rise to the level of mal-administration, possible misfeasance, neglect of duty and incompetence,” Jeffries told MetroNews earlier in the week.
In a statement to Ridgeview News earlier in the week, Prosecutor Jeffries said “After the numerous issues I have discovered, I think I have a duty to file at this time. I think the largest issue is the time sheets that the home confinement officer is submitting which are signed off on by Warren indicated that the HC officer is working 48 hours a week and 96 hours a pay period. Numerous home incarcerees claim to not have seen cody for some time and I pulled his 911 mark ups and only once has he radioed to 911 that he was checking a home. On one day Cody logged 8 hours I know he couldn’t possibly have worked because I found out he and Warren were sitting with a mental hygiene for 6 hours in the courthouse. Unless Cody went out at 2 am, I am not sure how he would have obtained 8 hours. Another day I know he was helping his father move the sold vehicles but still logged 8 hours.”
Jeffries laid 11 charges against Basnett with regard to the recent investigation involving the Calhoun Middle High School student interest event and multiple other malfeasance of duties and mishandling of funds.
- The fact that there were three deputies at the beginning of Warrens term there was three certified deputies which are now all gone and we currently have no certified officers for the county. Due in part what he believes is the Sheriff’s mal-administration of office. The deputies left likely in part to the Sheriff’s management. He noted that the State police is now run very thin and because of the Sheriff having no deputies he is relying on a reserve deputy and home confinement officer to take on great responsibility which creates it’s own issues.
- The second matter was the issue of the sale of 5 cruisers done outside state code, in a silent auction allowing one bidder to buy all five cruisers for $100 each. Those cruisers were put on Facebook Marketplace with the graphics of the Sheriffs Department still on the car and now in the hands of private citizens.
- Sheriff Basnett failed to properly supervise and administrate the home confinement program, to the point that the courts now have no confidence in the program to a degree that it has been removed as an option for alternative sentencing. What the Prosecutor discovered is that the home confinement officer is not doing home visits, compliance checks, drug screens, or anything of that nature. They were not going to the homes but Basnett had certified that the Home Confinement officer had worked an 8 hour day. Jeffries knew there was an error in that fact because one or two days he knew that the officer could not have worked 8 hours because of time spent on a mental hygiene transport. There was also the issue of there being only one time that the home confinement officers marked up with 911 of being on duty in the capacity of home confinement. `
- Sheriff is using the process server and home confinement officer to executive previously issued warrants.
- The Sheriff attempted to hire a pre certified deputy without following WV code. Prior to the necessary background checks, etc. the officer was given a badge, uniform and gun. When confronted by this fact the sheriff became evasive and combative.
- Sheriff Basnett promoted a deputy to Corporal and disregarded the Civil Service process.
- Has not insured that Civil Process was being done correctly.
- The sheriff is not serving suggestee executions and writs of executions issued by Magistrate Court.
- Sheriff Basnett attempted to be removed as a statutory conservator for a disabled person. If it had been granted the person would not have been capable of collecting their check and make sure their bills were taken care of. His grounds were baseless.
- Failed to provide consistent and reliable Court security.
- The issue surround the facts about what happened at Calhoun Middle High School that on March 31, 2023, Sheriff Basnett set up a display with several firearms and drug paraphernalia, students took pictures of other students picking up the guns, pointing them at one another long enough for videos to be made. One student took a video of himself handling a gun very inappropriately, during firing the gun in the air, acting in this manner for sometime. The Drug paraphernalia that supposedly contained drug residue. The sheriff attempted to use his Tazer on a child. A Tazer is a weapon and is only to be used as a use of force. The barbs sometimes have to be removed by medical staff because they get stuck in the skin. School personnel did step in.
This incident has not only brought into question the Sheriff’s poor decisions but many in the community question the schools failure to accept responsibility with the allowance of it to occur and the matter of personnel being present. Superintendent Kelli Whytsell issued an official statement to Ridgeview News stating that the matter was still under investigation.
