State Senator Michael Maroney arrested again | News, Sports, Jobs

Michael Maroney

McMECHEN – State Senator Michael Maroney, who is already facing charges of public nuisance and disorderly conduct for an incident in August, was arrested again Monday night on three misdemeanors.

According to the West Virginia Regional Jail Authority website, Maroney was booked into the Northern Regional Jail shortly after 5 p.m. on Monday on three misdemeanors – driving under the influence of alcohol, driving without a license and expired registration.

According to a press release from McMechen Police Chief Robert Shilling, Maroney was driving within McMechen city limits when city police stopped him for allegedly committing “numerous traffic violations.”

After the roadside investigation was completed, Maroney was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to Shilling. He added that Maroney cooperated with the police investigation.

This was Maroney's second arrest in just over a month. He was arrested on August 13 for public nuisance and disorderly conduct. He was accused of an “open act of sexual gratification” in the video lottery room at Gumby's in Glen Dale.

According to the criminal complaint for that arrest, Maroney was allegedly observed touching himself by two Gumby's employees in the video lottery room on August 4. Maroney denied the allegations to Glen Dale Police Chief Ed Vogler and reportedly said he would leave when he finished playing.

When Vogler later spoke to staff, they showed him the surveillance video in which he allegedly captured himself touching himself.

Following this arrest, Senate President Craig Blair (R-Berkeley) removed Maroney from his position as chairman of the Senate Health and Human Resources Committee and relieved him of all other committee assignments to “give him sufficient time to attend to his personal matters.”

Maroney, a Republican from Marshall County, was first elected to his state Senate in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. He lost to Monongalia County resident Chris Rose in the 2024 primary, and his current term ends Dec. 31.

A preliminary hearing on these charges scheduled for Thursday has been postponed to November 15 at 2:15 p.m.