CITIZEN STAFF REPORT
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Charles Hatfield, the former Mayor of Williamson and former CEO of Williamson Memorial Hospital, entered a guilty plea Thursday in U.S. District Court in Charleston to charges of theft and bribery in programs receiving federal funding.
Hatfield, 61, acknowledged in court that he misappropriated $34,872.62 from hospital coffers during his tenure as CEO, a position he assumed in September 2018. He used the funds to satisfy personal obligations, including real estate taxes and homeowners’ fees on his property in Venice, Florida.
Court documents reveal that Hatfield, entrusted with complete control over the hospital’s financial operations, directed the funds to his own real estate business and other personal expenses without approval from the hospital’s board or any other authority. His actions came to a head as the rural 76-bed hospital approached financial collapse, filing for bankruptcy in October 2019, shortly after his removal as CEO.
Hatfield’s misuse of funds was apparent in two transactions. The first, in May 2019, involved the purchase of a $9,197.62 cashier’s check for personal legal expenses to Venice Sands Apartments-Argus Management in Florida. The second, a transfer of $25,675 to his real estate company Mid Mountain Properties occurred just days before his dismissal and the hospital’s subsequent bankruptcy filing.
United States Attorney Will Thompson condemned Hatfield’s conduct.
“Charles Hatfield abused a position of trust and diverted funds for personal gain from a community hospital at a time when he knew the hospital and its employees were financially vulnerable,” Thompson said in a press release announcing the guilty plea.
Hatfield’s sentencing is Sept. 12. He faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The court ordered him to pay restitution in the amount he diverted from the hospital.