GLEN DALE — West Virginia Sen. Mike Maroney is calling into question the actions of the Marshall County Prosecutor’s office as a case against him for a misdemeanor prostitution charge has now dragged on for more than 14 months.

Maroney’s first public statement on the matter since his August 2019 arrest comes as Prosecuting Attorney Rhonda Wade seeks to have new evidence introduced against him. According to a criminal complaint, Glen Dale police arrested a woman on Aug. 5 of this year after she was allegedly seen leaving Maroney’s residence on Wheeling Avenue. The woman, Brandy Ann Cecil, had previously been identified as engaging in prostitution.

It is not clear in the report why Glen Dale police were watching those coming and going from Maroney’s home. A call to the department was not immediately returned.

Maroney’s attorney, Paul Harris, said Maroney has three witnesses prepared to testify that Maroney was not home on the day Cecil was allegedly seen visiting his residence.

“I find that very interesting, because we have three witnesses who will say that Dr. Maroney was not there that evening when they claim they pulled this woman over,” he said. “I see this as just one more attempt by police in Glen Dale to influence the election.”

That allegation is at the center of Maroney’s statement, as well. Wade has declined to comment on any of the allegations made by Maroney.

In a statement emailed to The Intelligencer, Maroney, a Republican from Marshall County, said there have been four continuances of his case. He said the first was a continuance due to a conflict with a federal court case and his attorney. He said the other three continuances have all been requested by Wade’s office.

“In fact, I wrote a letter begging for a trial in July and closure to this horrible chapter of (my) life. I wrote that letter after my lawyer told me the prosecutor requested a third continuance. The magistrate granted the third continuance before we could even respond despite the fact it was approaching a year since this started,” Maroney wrote.

He also charged that Wade’s office has not turned over all evidence in the case. “The prosecutor’s office is REQUIRED by law and rules of evidence to allow the defense to evaluate the evidence. The prosecutor’s office has been in violation and has not done so despite their obligation and despite numerous requests. The discovery deadline was more than eight months ago. Therefore, this violation of the laws of the rules of evidence has been going on that long,” he said.

The senator also took issue with Marshall County Assistant Prosecutor Joe Canestraro who has represented the prosecutor’s office in court for hearings in Maroney’s case. “This is the same office that has asked for three continuances and refuses to let me clear my name. Joe Canestraro has contributed financially to my opponent’s campaign and has been door-to-door campaigning with my opponent. All of the above are indisputable facts that I have documents or proof of and all are easily verifiable.”

He then added the following commentary on his case:

“1. Why did the prosecutor’s office ask for all these continuances? I am not sure but my opinion is that they are trying to influence an election. Nothing else makes sense to me. It has been over a year. People will have to decide for themselves.

“2. The prosecutor said in (The Intelligencer) she wants transparency. If she wants transparency, why wouldn’t she turn over the evidence that she is obligated to turn over? Why would she purposely violate the rules of evidence? I think I know the answer to those questions. I would ask the media to call and ask her that question. That question needs answered.

“3. Why did Joe Canestraro, who has been the prosecutor for pretrial hearings in my case, do the things I mentioned above? Joe is a friend of mine and we worked well together in Charleston. We are in different political parties and typically I would have no problem with the door-to-door campaigning or the contribution to my opponent. That is politics, work for your party before an election and work together after an election. But I have a huge, enormous problem with the fact that the prosecutor’s office has denied me a trial and justice and a prosecutor involved in the case contributing financially and door-to-door campaigning with my opponent. Again, I get denied a trial to clear my name before an election and a prosecutor involved in my case gives money to my opponent and walks door-to-door campaigning for my opponent. Joe should know better than that … it looks real bad and it smells real bad.

“4. My attorney asked the prosecutor on a few occasions to disqualify herself and the Marshall County Prosecutor’s office for legitimate reasons. The majority of the requests did not even get a reply. Other times, she flat out refused. It was not until the threat of filing a motion for a hearing on disqualification and therefore public exposure of some of what is in this statement that she disqualified the office. It happened very quickly (within two hours) after the threat of a hearing. In other words, the disqualification was not for transparency as stated in the newspaper last week. Quite the contrary, it was for an attempt at continued opaqueness.”

He signed his statement Sen. Mike Maroney, M.D.

Most recently, Maroney’s pre-trial hearing, set for last Thursday, was delayed until a special prosecutor could be appointed to oversee the case. The case has now been reassigned to Wood County Prosecutor Pat Lefebure.

Harris said Wade’s office should have stepped aside sooner.

Wade “saw the conflict, and the crux of our position was, they had one of the prosecutors, in the prosecutor’s office, actively campaigning for Sen. Maroney’s opponent, going door-to-door, and we think he may have provided funds. Under the circumstances where we’re days from the election, it just seems like it would be wise,” Harris said.

In the Aug. 5 arrest, Glen Dale police allegedly pulled Cecil over after leaving Maroney’s residence for improper registration, and she was subsequently arrested on active warrants from Belmont County. During an interview with police, Cecil allegedly said she had known Maroney for about a year and said she was at his residence, and admitted she had been engaging in prostitution.

In her filing, Wade states that testimony from both Cecil and the Glen Dale patrolman would be relevant for the 2019 prostitution case.

In 2019, Maroney was among eight men arrested in Glen Dale in a prostitution ring. Nearly all of the other people charged in the ring have since had their cases dismissed or they pleaded guilty and paid a fine.