West Virginia man charged with wire fraud in elder justice case

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Joseph M. Beach, age 54, of Inwood, West Virginia, has been indicted for misappropriation by a fiduciary, wire fraud, theft of government property, false written statement, and false statement to federal agent.

According to court documents, Beach was appointed as fiduciary for his father in late 2017. Beach’s father is under the care of a veterans’ care facility and receives monthly benefits. As the fiduciary, Beach received his father’s veteran’s disability, retirement, and social security payments and used them for his own benefit.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Eleanor Hurney is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.

The Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and the Social Security Administration investigated.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.