Former National Park Service Employee Sentenced for Theft of Government Property

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - James Masters, 38, of Victor, was sentenced today to one year of federal probation and ordered to pay $150 in restitution for theft of government property.

According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or around October 2025 to in or around February 2026, Masters was employed by the National Park Service when he stole approximately $150 from a donation box at the Canyon Rim Visitor Center, part of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in Lansing, Fayette County. As part of his guilty plea, Masters admitted that he used his position to access and remove money from the donation box without permission or authority on several occasions, and covered surveillance cameras to avoid detection.

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the National Park Service.

United States Magistrate Judge Dwane L. Tinsley imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Erik S. Goes and Amy L. McLaughlin prosecuted the case.

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. 2:26-cr-60.

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