The office of US Attorney Booth Goodwin confirmed for ILN Friday that Hughie Elbert Stover, 60, was found guilty of obstructing a federal investigation as well as making false statements to federal agents.

Specifically, the jury found that Stover made materially false statements to a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation as well as a special investigator for the US Mine Safety and Health Administration. Both individuals were looking into allegations that UBB security guards routinely notified mine personnel of the presence of MSHA inspectors.

“Stover falsely denied that such a practice existed and falsely told the agents that he would have fired any security guard who provided such advance notice,” Goodwin said.

“In addition, Stover himself instructed UBB security guards to notify mine personnel whenever MSHA inspectors arrived at the mine. The defendant also caused a person known to the grand jury to dispose of thousands of pages of security-related documents stored in a Massey building near the UBB mine, with the intent to impede the federal investigation.”

Stover served as security chief for UBB as well as at least two other Massey operations at the time of the blast. The mine, and Massey itself, have been owned by Alpha Natural Resources since June.

“Today’s verdict sends a clear message that when a person obstructs an investigation – especially an investigation as important as this one – there will be consequences,” Goodwin said.

Stover, who pleaded not guilty to both counts in April, is scheduled to be sentenced on February 29 in Beckley, West Virginia.

The criminal investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, with assistance from MSHA.