Kanawha County Woman Sentenced to Prison and Ordered to Pay Restitution for Wire Fraud

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Kelli Rucker, also known as "Kelli Engler," 48, of Nitro, was sentenced today to nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $18,472.75 in restitution for wire fraud.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Rucker was hired by the West Virginia Division of Labor as an Administrative Services Manager I in 2020 and assigned three state purchasing credit cards. From 2022 through February 2023, Rucker fraudulently made unauthorized purchases with the three cards that resulted in losses totaling $18,472.75 to the State of West Virginia. As part of her guilty plea, Rucker admitted that she knew she was not permitted to make personal purchases with a state-issued card and that she electronically paid personal expenses including gas and electric bills, hospital expenses, and cable television bills as part of her fraudulent scheme. Rucker further admitted that her fraudulent use of the cards included a $2,200 charge transmitted electronically on January 28, 2023.

Rucker has a criminal history that includes prior convictions for access device fraud on October 13, 2010, and failure to appear on October 11, 2016, both in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.

"Fraud - of any size and in any form - will be met with decisive action," said United States Attorney Moore Capito. "Every scam, from minor schemes to large scale operations, drains America's taxpayers, stealing an estimated $233 billion to $521 billion from the federal government each year. That is unacceptable. Our office is fully committed to a coordinated, government-wide effort to combat fraud, and we will hold accountable anyone who steals from hardworking Americans. We urge every agency, partner, and citizen to stay vigilant, report suspicious activity, and join us in protecting taxpayer dollars."

Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations, and the assistance provided by the West Virginia Division of Labor.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes prosecuted the case.

On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within federal benefit programs.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACERLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-176.

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