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December 10, 2014

Ex-Head of Company Behind West Virginia Chemical Spill Indicted on Fraud Charges 
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The former president of the corporation that contaminated drinking water
in West Virginia earlier this year has been arrested on charges of
criminal fraud. Gary Southern is accused of bankruptcy fraud, wire
fraud, and lying under oath during Freedom Industries' bankruptcy
proceedings following the spill. Prosecutors say Southern developed a
scheme to shield himself from lawsuits and protect his personal fortune
from liability claims. More than 300,000 West Virginians were left
without drinking water and dozens were hospitalized after Freedom
Industries spilled a coal-cleaning chemical into the Elk River.

 

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