03/09/2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Prosecuting Attorney Austin Grimmett Announces Record-Setting Year for Wirt Prosecutor’s Office: More Than 500 Criminal Cases, Major Drug Convictions, Child Protection Efforts, and Security Upgrades Highlight 2025
ELIZABETH, W.Va. — Wirt County Prosecuting Attorney Austin Grimmett announced this week that the Wirt County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office completed a record-setting year in 2025, handling more felony and misdemeanor prosecutions than any single year on record in county history.
According to available records, the Office handled more than 500 felony and misdemeanor cases in 2025, not including matters in which the Office was appointed to serve as Special Prosecuting Attorney in other counties. That total is more than twice the number of cases handled by the Office in 2024 and reflects a dramatic increase in the workload managed during Prosecuting Attorney Austin Grimmett’s first year in office.
“Our office has worked every day to pursue justice without fear or favor, while respecting the rights of the accused and standing up for victims, public safety, and the rule of law,” Grimmett said. “We have worked hard to hold dangerous offenders accountable, return property to rightful owners, and ensure that those struggling with addiction are directed toward meaningful treatment when appropriate.”
In addition to its criminal caseload, the Office handled more than 50 new Juvenile Delinquency, Juvenile Status, and Juvenile Abuse and Neglect matters during 2025. This is over double the cases handled in 2024, underscoring the Office’s emphasis on protecting children and addressing the needs of vulnerable families.
“No child in Wirt County should be forgotten or left in abusive, neglectful, or unsafe conditions,” Grimmett said. “These cases reflect our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community and helping secure better outcomes for our children.”
Prosecuting Attorney Austin Grimmett was also honored in 2025 with the Shooting Star Award from North Star Child Advocacy Center. The award is presented to community partners who go above and beyond their call of duty to protect children, support victims, and hold offenders accountable. The recognition highlights the Office’s commitment to child protection, victim advocacy, and the fair but firm prosecution of those who prey on the most vulnerable.
Among the Office’s major accomplishments was the completion of Wirt County’s SAFE Commission Plan, a plan required by state law which had been past due since 2016. After the initial draft was submitted for review, WV SAFE Commission Chairperson Nancy Hoffman stated, “Wirt County may be last in submitting a plan for review, but you submitted probably the best first draft we’ve received!” Grimmett credited Brooklyn Parsons of the Family Crisis Intervention Center for her assistance with that effort.
The Prosecuting Attorney’s Office also made major strides in modernizing its operations through the development of an electronic database of historical court records spanning back decades. The project began in January 2025, and by the end of December 2025, the Office had added 147,322 unique files totaling more than 980 gigabytes of data. The database will improve accessibility for ongoing and future investigations, strengthen the security of court records, preserve confidentiality where required by law, and reduce reliance on aging paper files. Just as importantly, this effort will save taxpayer money over time by reducing the county’s need to devote valuable physical storage space to housing decades of paper records.
The database is intended to improve accessibility for ongoing and future investigations, enhance the security of court records, preserve confidentiality where required by law, and reduce reliance on aging paper files. “I want to specifically thank my Legal Assistant, Haylee Exline, and my Paralegal, Brooklyn Watts, for their outstanding work on this project,” Grimmett said. “Their efforts have helped move this office forward in a way that will benefit Wirt County for years to come.”
The Office also oversaw Operation: Blackjack, described as the largest drug-trafficking investigation in Wirt County history. The operation initially targeted 21 felony drug-trafficking suspects, and that goal was exceeded. To date, the Office has secured felony convictions in every resolved felony case resulting from the investigation, with additional cases still pending.
“This operation sent a clear message that drug trafficking in Wirt County will be met with serious investigation and prosecution,” Grimmett said. “I am deeply grateful to Sheriff McFee and the Wirt County Sheriff’s Office as well as the West Virginia State Police for their hard work and commitment to protecting our communities.”
Grimmett also reported significant progress in reducing case backlogs and moving older investigations and prosecutions more efficiently following Wirt County’s transition into the 3rd Judicial Circuit alongside Ritchie, Pleasants, and Doddridge Counties, as well as the placement of one of the Circuit’s two judges in Wirt County.
Grimmett thanked Circuit Judge Leslie L. Maze, Chief Circuit Judge Timothy L. Sweeney, their staff, Magistrates C. David Roberts and Janey Wigal and their staff, and Circuit Clerk Carol Frame and her staff for their work in maintaining a steady and high performing docket.
Beyond criminal prosecution, the Office also worked with the Wirt County Commission to realign the Wirt County Development Authority, the governmental entity responsible for the Poor Farm and Sportsman’s Park, and to bring that entity into compliance with statutory requirements.
“Good government and public accountability matter,” Grimmett said. “I appreciate the Wirt County Commission’s dedication to supporting law enforcement and serving the people of this county.”
Grimmett said the Office’s accomplishments would not have been possible without the support of the community.
“Above all, I want to thank the people of Wirt County,” Grimmett said. “The strength of this county is its people. It’s a close-knit community that supports one another and cares deeply about doing what is right. I remain committed to working every day to keep Wirt County safe, protect the vulnerable, and serve this community with integrity.”
END OF RELEASE
# # #
