Former Fire Chief Sentenced For Embezzlement

James Wilson Burks
Upshur County Jail

The former chief of the East Mountain Fire Department has pleaded guilty to misapplication of fiduciary property belonging to the department. Upshur County prosecutors say 45-year-old James Wilson Burks stole more than $40,000 and used it to gamble, buy items for his girlfriend, and make other personal purchases. The court sentenced him to eight years in state prison.