Fayette County woman pleads guilty to federal fraud crime

Date: March 19, 2026

Contact: [email protected]

Charleston, WV - Crystal Renee Severson of Gauley Bridge pleaded guilty today to fraud and related activity in connection with identification documents, features and information.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from March 28, 2016, to March 16, 2022, Severson was an administrative assistant at the West Virginia Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists with duties that included receiving applications and application fees from individuals seeking to be licensed as nail technicians.

On or about Jan. 10, 2022, Severson altered a $100 money order submitted by a licensure applicant by removing the payee's name and address. As part of her plea agreement, Severson admitted that she replaced that information with the name and address of her mother and deposited the money order in her own personal bank account. Severson further admitted that her mother was unaware that she had altered the money order and had not given her permission to use her name on it.

Severson also admitted that she fraudulently deposited 19 other money orders submitted by licensure applicants between Aug. 21, 2019, and Nov. 23, 2021. The 20 money orders fraudulently deposited by Severson totaled $1,855.00.

Severson is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Severson also owes at least $1,855.00 in restitution.

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations.

United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.

IRS-CI is the law enforcement arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. It is the only federal law enforcement agency with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code. IRS-CI has 18 field offices located across the U.S. and maintains an international presence through attaché posts abroad.