INDICTMENT
STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA
COUNTY OF NICHOLAS
STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA,
vs.

Plaintiff,
Criminal Case No. 20-F- ______

CHRISTINA M. DRENNEN,

Defendant.

COUNT ONE
West Virginia Code: 61-3-24
OBTAINING MONEY, PROPERTY OR SERVICES BY FALSE PRETENSE
(FELONY)
THE GRAND JURY CHARGES:
that on or about the 23rd day of June 2016 through the 17th day of July 2016, in
Nicholas County, West Virginia, CHRISTINA M. DRENNEN committed the offense of
“OBTAINING MONEY, PROPERTY OR SERVICES BY FALSE PRETENSES” by
unlawfully, intentionally, knowingly, willfully and feloniously obtaining U. S. currency in a
sum in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) or more from Federal Emergency
Management Agency, the citizens of Richwood, and the Municipality of Richwood. This
crime was committed with the intent to defraud the Federal Emergency Management
Agency, the citizens of Richwood, and the Municipality of Richwood. To wit: On or about
the 23rd day of June 2016, a flood decimated the City of Richwood necessitating massive
clean-up in the ensuing weeks and months. In July 2016, CHRISTINA M. DRENNEN took
public office as the elected Recorder of the City of Richwood, and began being paid a
salary as Recorder. At various points in early July, CHRISTINA M. DRENNEN, additionally
received compensation from the City of Richwood purportedly for work as a member of a
flood recovery team known as the Incident Command Team (ICT). The ICT was not
formed or approved by the Richwood City Council until on or about July 18, 2016. During
the time period from June 23, 2016 to July 17, 2016, CHRISTINA M. DRENNEN obtained
by false pretenses in a sum in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) to the detriment
of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the citizens of Richwood, and the
Municipality of Richwood. This crime was committed in Nicholas County against the peace
and dignity of the State of West Virginia.
COUNT TWO
THE GRAND JURY FURTHER CHARGES:
that on or about the ____ day of November 2016 through the ____ day of January
2017, in Nicholas County, West Virginia, CHRISTINA M. DRENNEN committed the offense
of “OBTAINING MONEY, PROPERTY OR SERVICES BY FALSE PRETENSES” by
unlawfully, intentionally, knowingly, willfully and feloniously obtaining U. S. currency in a
sum in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) or more from Federal Emergency
Management Agency, the citizens of Richwood, and the Municipality of Richwood. This
crime was committed with the intent to defraud the Federal Emergency Management

 Agency, the citizens of Richwood, and the Municipality of Richwood. To wit: On or about
the 23rd day of June 2016, a flood decimated the City of Richwood necessitating massive
clean-up in the ensuing weeks and months. In July 2016, CHRISTINA M. DRENNEN took
public office as the elected Recorder of the City of Richwood, and began being paid a
salary as Recorder. At various points in early July, CHRISTINA M. DRENNEN, additionally
received compensation from the City of Richwood purportedly for work as a member of a
flood recovery team known as the Incident Command Team (ICT). The ICT terminated on
or about November 2, 2016. During the time period from November 2016 to January 2017,
CHRISTINA M. DRENNEN, obtained by false pretenses in a sum in excess of one
thousand dollars ($1,000.00) to the detriment of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency, the citizens of Richwood, and the Municipality of Richwood. This crime was
committed in Nicholas County against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.
COUNT THREE
West Virginia Code: 61-3-24d
FRAUDULENT SCHEMES
(FELONY)
THE GRAND JURY FURTHER CHARGES:
that between the ____ day of June, 2016 through the __ day of December, 2016, in
Nicholas County, West Virginia, CHRISTINA M. DRENNEN acting in concert with the
Incident Command Team in Richwood, West Virginia, committed the offense of
“FRAUDULENT SCHEMES” by unlawfully, intentionally, knowingly, willfully, feloniously
and with the intent to defraud, depriving another of money, goods, property or serviced by
means of fraudulent pretenses. CHRISTINA M. DRENNEN acting with the members of the
Incident Command Team to deprive the City of Richwood of money that was intended to
help the City of Richwood recover from the flood on the 23 June 2016. CHRISTINA M.
DRENNEN and the Incident Command Team’s excessive payments to themselves and
their family members inhibited the City of Richwood from recovering from the flood to the
benefit of herself and others. The amount in controversy for the fraudulent scheme in
excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), against the peace and dignity of the State of
West Virginia.
Found upon the sworn testimony of LT. BRAD MANKINS a member of the West
Virginia State Police Department, Raleigh County, West Virginia.
A TRUE BILL DATED:

June 16, 2020

______________________________________
FOREPERSON
_____________________________________
Prosecuting Attorney
Nicholas County, West Virginia