Photo by Shelley Hanson Marshall County Assessor Eric Buzzard appears for a plea hearing on Wednesday in Marshall County Circuit Court.

MOUNDSVILLE – Marshall County Assessor Eric Buzzard pleaded guilty to three counts related to embezzlement and conspiracy during a hearing Wednesday before Marshall County Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Cramer.

Buzzard, 42, of Moundsville pleaded guilty to the following information counts: felony embezzlement, conspiracy to commit fraudulent schemes and conspiracy to commit grand larceny.

A sentencing hearing will be held at a later date after a pre-sentence investigation is conducted by the probation office.

Buzzard was arrested last June for allegedly partnering with a local car dealer to purchase cars for the Marshall County Commission, resulting in him allegedly receiving more than $30,000 in kickbacks from padded prices. According to a criminal complaint filed by the West Virginia State Police with the Marshall County Magistrate’s Office, since the time Buzzard took office in January 2021, he and the car dealer allegedly collectively split a profit of $63,157 following the county’s purchase of automobiles, resulting in a $31,578 kickback for each.

On Wednesday, Buzzard also admitted to using a purchasing card belonging to the county office to purchase personal items and goods.

Return to theintelligencer.net later for more on this developing story.