Massey Energy exec charged with lying to FBI in coal mine blast investigation

The Washington Post reports that Hughie Elbert Stover, chief of security at the Upper Big Branch mine and at two other Massey Energy subsidiaries, has been charged with lying to the FBI and obstructing justice in the investigation of the West Virginia coal mine explosion that killed 29 miners. These are the first criminal charges in connection with the worst U.S. mining accident in 40 years.

Boing Boing editor/partner and tech culture journalist Xeni Jardin hosts and produces Boing Boing's in-flight TV channel on Virgin America airlines (#10 on the dial), and writes about living with breast cancer. Diagnosed in 2011. @xeni on Twitter. email: xeni@boingboing.net.

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kenmce

Martha Stewart went to prison for lying to federal investigators, and she hadn’t killed anybody. Wonder how this guy will do…?
Anonymous

It depends. How many friends does he have in Washington? After all, NOBODY that caused the economic meltdown is in jail, and it seems like they never will face any negative consequences at all. Wake up, federal government! Nothing could be more just than putting the robber barons in jail. Plus, if Obama did start going after them and putting them behind bars, it would be great for his approval and almost certainly get him re-elected!
PaulR

The real test of the FBI’s and the government’s “deep commitment to getting to the truth about what happened, including holding to account anyone who may impede this critical investigation” is to get a conviction, or multiple convictions. And jail time.
Anonymous

We are Waiting at the Gate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhwtxLsDBr8
Anonymous

Topical genre mashup: “Big Branch” by Gangstagrass

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwRTpPRR2Jw
- Anonymous
  
  Thanks, that’s a great track!
William George

Wealthy business owners are above the law. We should just accept it and figure our which serfdom we’re supposed to work at. It’ll be best for the economy.
- Jake0748
  
  So true. So sad.
Anonymous

Businessmen are not only above the law, but buy and sell the law! Look at the history of labor unions in the country and you will see the damn cops almost ALWAYS end up aligned with the business owners and very seldom do they align with the laborers side.

About the only exception to that is the government employees unions which very often include police officers among their ranks. It will be very interesting to see what the police and the mercenaries reported there in Madison, WI will do with the government workers on protest there?