CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Former Morgantown city council candidate Timothy Aaron Metz has admitted to falsifying signatures during the 2019 municipal election.
The Secretary of State’s Office launched the investigation after being notified by Morgantown officials. The investigation found 21 of the 75 required signatures to get on the ballot were fraudulent, including one signature of deceased person.
When Metz withdrew from the election process in March of 2019 he said he had “cut corners.” Metz was indicted by a Mon County Grand Jury in September.
Metz has formally entered a guilty plea to one felony count of falsely filing a certification of nomination Monongalia County Circuit Court.
Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney Perri DeChristopher and the court agreed to a pre-trial diversion and placed Metz under supervised probation for a period of 24 months.
“Election fraud at any level of government will never be tolerated in West Virginia,” said Secretary of State Mac Warner. “Our office will continue to work closely with local election officials and county prosecutors to make sure election improprieties are properly investigated and those people found guilty are held accountable.”