Associated Press Published

Justice Chooses Former Sheriff as His Public Safety Chief

Jeff Sandy

Gov.-elect Jim Justice has made his first Cabinet selection, choosing former Wood County Sheriff Jeff Sandy to be his secretary of the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety.

A former special agent in the U.S. Treasury Criminal Investigations Division, Sandy is a Wood County native and currently partner in Perry Forensic Investigations LLC.

He was elected sheriff in 2008 and appointed to the board of the Regional Jail Authority, where he was elected chairman in 2012.

According to Justice’s transition team, Sandy has certifications for investigating fraud and money laundering, worked in Iraq on counter-terrorism and participated in a federally funded anti-terrorism training of police officers.

He would replace Secretary Joseph Thornton overseeing 10 agencies, including State Police, Division of Corrections and Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.