John Ours says a Quantico handwriting analysis will show if a 2017 protection order was forged
An investigation into a child acquisition scheme in West Virginia now hinges on the results of an FBI report into alleged forgery.
National File has exclusively reviewed the documents in question, and discussed the document in question with lead investigator Andy O’Dell.
National File’s Publisher, Noel Fritsch, attended a status hearing with the third judge assigned to his Application to present to a Grand Jury in West Virginia on the criminal allegations being investigated by O’Dell, and more included in his Grand Jury application.
Based on testimony given by Special Prosecutor John Ours that the investigation hinges upon an FBI analysis of handwriting on a 2017 Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO), Judge Pancake determined that there will be yet another status hearing in the matter, which has been scheduled for later this year on December 28th.
The DVPO in question is key to the investigation because it serves as key evidence in an alleged Berkley County racketeering operation and and child acquisition scheme that has touched many, many families in the rural county two hours west of Washington, D.C.
DVPOs are regularly used as a weapon in family courts to deprive parents — usually fathers — of their parental rights.
After a National File exclusive report exposed a forensic interviewer’s production of pornographic material in Berkeley County, WV, authorities in the Mountain State appointed a special prosecutor to investigate two Berkeley County circuit court judges, a sheriff captain, and the former forensic interviewer, Taylor Staubs, following allegations they conspired to falsely convict a veteran father to gain custody of a minor child.
Special Prosecutor John Ours and veteran West Virginia State Police Sgt. Andy O’Dell were assigned to lead the investigation.
Sgt. O’Dell indicated during the hearing that he would call the FBI to follow up on the analysis, and said that he expected it to be returned during the month of October.
National File followed up with Mr. O’Dell with the following email, and O’Dell responded by repeating what was said during the hearing.
THIRD JUDGE HOLDS STATUS HEARING ON YEAR-LONG INVESTIGATION
After nearly one full year, John Ours, the special prosecutor, says he is still waiting on FBI report to be returned.
If that FBI analysis proves to have been forged, it would seem likely that Ours would prosecute for forgery, which is a crime in West Virginia.
Fritsch characterized the state’s prosecutor as appearing unprepared.
“During the hearing it was clear to me that Mr. Ours had not read my application,” Fritsch said.
“What’s more, it seemed highly likely that few others within the criminal judicial system in West Virginia had, either.”
According to Ours, the investigation, mostly performed by Sgt. O’Dell, involved hundreds of hours and a large volume of documents, files that stacked 12–13 inches high and weigh a total of thirty pounds “or more.”
It seems unlikely that such investigative effort would be expended if there was no likelihood of criminal wrongdoing.
Despite that, Mr. Ours indicated the investigation has not revealed significant findings, aside from the pending handwriting analysis.
Ours stated that, O’Dell had “basically concluded his investgation on all of those I had originally been appointed” to investigate.
“There was some question as to whether or not former judge redding had executed the signature as the petitioner” in the DVPO.
O’Dell, with the assistance of experts in “over in Quantico had submitted that for a handwriting analysis, and had not yet received it. Upon receiving that he was gonna go have an interview with former judge redding, should he desire to do so.”
Pancake followed up with Ours’s characterization by asking where the handwriting analysis stood.
“So the results not back from quantico yet?” Pancake asked.
“That’s correct,” Ours replied.
Then Ours made the bold claim that the thirty pounds of documents and year-long investigation was evidently all for nothing.
“The investigation seems to indicate that there’s not much there.”
Spectators are asking why O’Dell would’ve continued an investigation into criminal wrongdoing if, as Mr. Ours claimed during the hearing, “there’s not much there.”
Fritsch’s assessment that few members in law enforcement or the judiciary had read his Application seem to be bolstered by the fact that Special Prosecutor Ours wasn’t even clear on which criminal targets his Appointment covered as compared with which targets Fritsch’s Application covered.
Perhaps Mr. Ours will have read the Application by December 28th, when the next status hearing is scheduled.
Fritsch joined the status hearing via Microsoft Teams. Judge Pancake presided on behalf of Berkeley County, from Grant County.
