Jan. 7, 2007
 
Bob Graham Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison; Fined $10,000
 
By David M. Kinchen
Editor, Huntington News Network
 
Bluefield, WV (BNN, HNN) – U.S. District Judge David Faber sentenced 59-year-old Bob Graham to two years in federal prison, plus three years’ supervised probation and fined him $10,000 on Friday, Jan. 5, 2007.
 
Graham, former director of the Wyoming County Council on Aging (COA), could have received up to 10 years in prison after being convicted of illegally obtaining $31,129 in sick leave from the agency.
 
Graham lost his job after his August 30, 2006 conviction in federal court on one count involving the sick leave pay, but was acquitted on 38 other counts charging him with embezzlement and fraud. Graham had requested a bench trial rather than a jury trial. U.S. District Judge David Faber said that Graham disregarded the board and treated large amounts of the council's money – in excess of $350,000 – as if it was his own. He brought national attention to the Wyoming County organization for his lavish life style. Jennifer Gibson was appointed director last month. Gibson, who had been serving as interim director, was named to fill Graham’s position at a salary of $65,000 a year, according to a Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2006 announcement from the Itmann, WV-based agency.
 
Gibson’s salary – more in line with her counterparts throughout the state -- is far from what Graham was paid: It was disclosed in 2004 that Graham, who headed the COA and its affliliate, All-Care, for about 30 years, was paid a salary of $457,000 a year – more than four times the annual salary of West Virginia’s governor – along with perks totaling $100,000.