Joshua Sneed, a 35-year-old resident of Bluefield, Virginia, has entered a guilty plea to charges of possessing stolen money. The case revolves around an incident on March 15, 2024, when Sneed was working as a title clerk at an automotive sales and service business in Bluefield, West Virginia. A customer purchased a 2008 Bentley Continental for $37,761 in cash, which was deposited into the business's safe.
Court documents reveal that on March 27, 2024, Sneed altered the transaction record from a cash purchase to a credit card purchase using his access to the company's computer system. He admitted this change was made to hide the fact that he did not deposit the cash into the business's bank account but instead took it home.
Further admissions by Sneed indicate that he prepared two bank deposit slips for $60,100 and $60,222.10 on March 27 and April 9 respectively but never completed these deposits. These actions were intended to cover up his ongoing theft from the company over several months.
Sneed attempted another alteration on April 9, trying to revert the Bentley sale back to its original cash transaction status but found himself unable due to system restrictions. On April 15, he was terminated from his job.
Sentencing is set for July 7, 2025. Sneed could face up to ten years in prison along with three years of supervised release and a fine reaching $250,000. He also owes restitution amounting to at least $120,322.10.
The announcement came from Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston who praised the investigative efforts of the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber oversaw the hearing while Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is handling prosecution duties.
For further details or related court documents regarding this case (Case No. 1:25-cr-14), interested parties can visit PACER or check out resources available through the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia website.