The unnamed Massey Energy employee who served 10 months in prison was charged with and convicted of making false statements to federal mine safety officials regarding the company's safety practices at its Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia.
The Upper Big Branch mine explosion occurred in April 2010 and resulted in the deaths of 29 miners. The investigation into the disaster revealed that Massey Energy had a long history of safety violations and had ignored warnings about the dangerous conditions at the mine. The unnamed employee in question was found to have provided false information to mine safety officials in an attempt to conceal the company's safety violations and avoid scrutiny.
In December 2011, the employee pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of making false statements to federal mine safety officials. The employee was sentenced to 10 months in prison, two years of supervised release, and a $20,000 fine.