Attorney and former city council member charged with witness intimidation
A Wheeling, West Virginia, attorney and a former city council member, who were involved in the Marion County, West Virginia, murder prosecution of alleged Pagan Motorcycle Club leader Ryan Lane, were arrested by the West Virginia State Police on Tuesday on new charges of improperly influencing potential witnesses, according to Legal Newsline.
Lawyer Elgine McArdle represented Lane in his 2022 murder trial for the killing of Henry Silver, and Lowell “L.J.” Maxey, a former Bridgeport, West Virginia, city councilman, had assisted McArdle, the publication states, quoting WAJR.
According to prosecutors, McArdle previously violated child-confidentiality laws after she allegedly disclosed the identity and interview of a minor witness in sealed filings and unencrypted emails, leading to 13 misdemeanor counts of violations, Legal Newsline previously reported, and Maxey previously was charged with working as a private investigator without a license while participating in Lane’s defense, which he disputes.
The murder trial in September ended in a hung jury, but in a November deal, Lane pleaded no contest to a single count of felony organized criminal enterprise in connection with Silver’s killing, and prosecutors agreed to dismiss more serious murder and conspiracy charges, according to WDTV.
Sentencing could expose him to up to 10 years in prison, according to Legal Newsline.
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