(Publisher's Note: They knew something was really wrong when layoffs took place and getting paid still was not guaranteed, but once 27 federal indictments followed the first charge of wire fraud in early June, most suspicions were confirmed. But, for about a year anyway, the dream of a revitalized downtown Wheeling was alive and believed.) Ladies and Gentlemen:Well, folks, it sure appears the federal government has issues with the ol’ boss, and U.S. Attorney William Ihlenfeld promised in the press release there’s additional charges coming in the future. Remember now, in this great country of ours the indicted is innocent until proven guilty, of course, but it sure seems karma came home to roost at the very moment Jeffrey James Morris was arraigned and charged with federal wire fraud Friday afternoon. Now, as for us, the 100 or so former employees, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing at all. And that includes the man’s inner circle, too, because those former “best friends” were caught off guard, as well.But hey, it was easy to take the job. The promised-to-be salary was more than any other business was offering at the time, and it didn’t matter what the position entailed. And yeah, we all wanted to play a part in accomplishing what Morris said he was going to do for the city of Wheeling.And somehow, it all sounded believable, and that’s only because we really, really wanted to believe it, and when Roxby was the talk of the town after acquiring three of Wheeling’s most mysterious properties, it sure seemed everyone wanted to get involved with IT, too. Now, whatever IT really was supposed to become, that’s for the federal government to sort out now, but former employees knew – because the fifth floor “Phantom” told us over and over again – the goal was to prove “Old Wheeling wrong.”Until that is, when the scheduled paychecks stopped hitting our accounts, the first few rounds of layoffs took place, those “best friends” walked away, and then, when the foreclosures took place and federal charges were levied. It sure seems now all the man ultimately proved was what everyone feared, and here we are today holding exactly the opposite of what we signed up for.Sad, really, for the company’s former workforce members, yes, but for everyone else, too.Sincerely,We're Right There With Yahttps://ledenews.com/criminal-complaint-united-states-v-jeffrey-james-morris/

It was everything it could be.A new beginning, a reinvention, and a resurrection for history, for downtown Wheeling, and for a young, up-and-coming manager in the hospitality industry. It was everything possible.And, to top it off, the Wheeling native accepted what was supposed to be the biggest and best opportunity of his young career after learning the craft for more than five years at one of the highest-rated Hampton Inn hotels in the world. It was THE dream that checked all the boxes, but that aspiration, unfortunately for Taylor Smith, was too good to be true.In the summer of 2021, former Roxby Development president Jeffrey Morris agreed to purchase the McLure House Hotel for more than $6 million, and the moment he took possession Smith was the general manager of the 175-room hotel where presidents slept but Marilyn Monroe never did. Under Smith's supervision, a floor of rooms and the lobby were renovated, the lounge was re-opened, and a very drab, tired building was painted pure white from top to bottom.Morris called the makeover a cleansing, but Smith then was forced to pester him to pay for the paint job, and, as it turned out, for many other unpaid bills that allegedly never were satisfied during his brief tenure with the failed company. Morris has since been charged with 18 federal counts of wire fraud and 10 counts of tax evasion and is scheduled for trial in March 2024.Smith? Well, as a matter of fact, after recalibrating his professional path, the young man has just accepted a far more realistic dream-come-true job as the general manager of the Hampton Inn & Suites in St. Clairsville. The four-floor hotel offers 113 rooms, an indoor pool, a hot breakfast every morning, and close proximity to the Ohio Valley Mall.So, despite the deplorable detour, Smith’s journey continues.The Hampton Inn & Suites is located very close to the Ohio Valley Mall in Richland Township.What is it about making sure someone is enjoying their stay in the lodge you are managing that drives you the most?As you know I’m coming from the number one Hampton Inn in the world after 10 plus years of experience, so I will say the joy of seeing a positive review or a loyal guest who keeps coming back just to say hello keeps me going.I love it when my long-term guests become lifelong friends and family.What was your favorite part about growing up in Wheeling?My favorite part about growing up in Wheeling and in the Ohio Valley is, no matter where you go around here, you always run into a person you know or someone who knows you. I like to call that “Friendly City Energy.”We all have it embedded in us and that is true hospitality as its finest. Just remember to be nice to people.Smith played a big role with making the Hampton Inn in Wheeling the top Hampton hotel in the world.When someone first walks into their hotel room, what should they see?The first thing someone should see is that the room is well-stocked and clean. There should be a few extras, like maybe a candy or an animal-shaped towel, because those things never hurt anyone and guests are delighted.My mentor used to always say, “If the room is not clean, lock the door and throw away the key,” and this business, there is no truer statement than that.”How picky are you when you travel? And do you ever complain?I am what you call a travel warrior, aka, “easy to please. As long as the room is clean, you will never have a complaint from me. Also, I always do my research before I stay anywhere. That is a “Book A Room 101 Always” for me.According to federal documents, L&L Painting was not paid the $67,000 it billed Roxby Development for the painting of the McLure House Hotel in July 2021.What is the biggest lesson you learned during your brief time as general manager of the McLure Hotel for Roxby Development?My biggest lesson is, “Trust Your Instincts.”My love for the development of our area and hospitality blinded me from huge warning signs, but I am still thankful for the experience. We have to remember to get back up even when life tries to knock us down. We have to get back up every single time!

Jeffrey James Morris, age 36, of Wheeling, West Virginia, has been indicted on twenty-eight counts of wire fraud and tax evasion in connection with the defrauding of investors and employees of his real estate development company. Morris, the managing member and majority owner of Roxby Development, LLC, was charged yesterday by a special grand jury in Wheeling with eighteen counts of wire fraud and ten counts offailure to pay taxes. Morris, who was arrested earlier this month on one count of wire fraud, is accused of making misrepresentations to induce individuals to invest in Ohio County real estate, to include the McClure House hotel, the Mount Carmel Monastery, and the Scottish Rite Cathedral. According to the indictment, Morris received nearly $7 million from approximately twentyinvestors. Morris allegedly used investor funds to pay for credit card transactions unrelated to Roxby renovations, to pay the debts of a company unrelated to Roxby, to pay personal expenses, and to pay other investors. He is accused of misrepresenting the status of improvements made to the properties to induce additional investment and to lull investors into not taking action for failing to comply with their agreements. Morris allegedly used deception to induce the sale of properties to him, to include providing false screenshots of bank account balances, and to have misled potential lenders by not disclosing all the payables of the Roxby entities. Morris is also charged with withholding taxes from his employees’ pay checks but then failing to pay over $252,000 to the Internal Revenue Service, to include Medicare and social security taxes. “Many were harmed by the actions of Jeffery Morris, including investors, employees, and vendors,” said United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld. “Thanks to the outstanding work of the FBI and IRS-CI, Mr. Morris will be held accountable.” “Mr. Morris is accused of taking advantage of innocent investors and creating a deceptive scheme for his own personal gain,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. “The FBI willrelentlessly pursue those who attempt to defraud and mislead people in our community.” U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the InternalRevenue Service-CI. A jury trial has been scheduled for November 14, 2023, at 9:00 am. An indictment is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Jeffrey James Morris, age 36, of Wheeling, West Virginia, has been indicted on twenty-eight counts of wire fraud and tax evasion in connection with the defrauding of investors and employees of his real estate development company. Morris, the managing member and majority owner of Roxby Development, LLC, was charged yesterday by a special grand jury in Wheeling with eighteen counts of wire fraud and ten counts offailure to pay taxes. Morris, who was arrested earlier this month on one count of wire fraud, is accused of making misrepresentations to induce individuals to invest in Ohio County real estate, to include the McClure House hotel, the Mount Carmel Monastery, and the Scottish Rite Cathedral. According to the indictment, Morris received nearly $7 million from approximately twentyinvestors. Morris allegedly used investor funds to pay for credit card transactions unrelated to Roxby renovations, to pay the debts of a company unrelated to Roxby, to pay personal expenses, and to pay other investors. He is accused of misrepresenting the status of improvements made to the properties to induce additional investment and to lull investors into not taking action for failing to comply with their agreements. Morris allegedly used deception to induce the sale of properties to him, to include providing false screenshots of bank account balances, and to have misled potential lenders by not disclosing all the payables of the Roxby entities. Morris is also charged with withholding taxes from his employees’ pay checks but then failing to pay over $252,000 to the Internal Revenue Service, to include Medicare and social security taxes. “Many were harmed by the actions of Jeffery Morris, including investors, employees, and vendors,” said United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld. “Thanks to the outstanding work of the FBI and IRS-CI, Mr. Morris will be held accountable.” “Mr. Morris is accused of taking advantage of innocent investors and creating a deceptive scheme for his own personal gain,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. “The FBI willrelentlessly pursue those who attempt to defraud and mislead people in our community.” U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the InternalRevenue Service-CI. A jury trial has been scheduled for November 14, 2023, at 9:00 am. An indictment is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Jeffrey James Morris, age 36, of Wheeling, West Virginia, has been indicted on twenty-eight counts of wire fraud and tax evasion in connection with the defrauding of investors and employees of his real estate development company. Morris, the managing member and majority owner of Roxby Development, LLC, was charged yesterday by a special grand jury in Wheeling with eighteen counts of wire fraud and ten counts offailure to pay taxes. Morris, who was arrested earlier this month on one count of wire fraud, is accused of making misrepresentations to induce individuals to invest in Ohio County real estate, to include the McClure House hotel, the Mount Carmel Monastery, and the Scottish Rite Cathedral. According to the indictment, Morris received nearly $7 million from approximately twentyinvestors. Morris allegedly used investor funds to pay for credit card transactions unrelated to Roxby renovations, to pay the debts of a company unrelated to Roxby, to pay personal expenses, and to pay other investors. He is accused of misrepresenting the status of improvements made to the properties to induce additional investment and to lull investors into not taking action for failing to comply with their agreements. Morris allegedly used deception to induce the sale of properties to him, to include providing false screenshots of bank account balances, and to have misled potential lenders by not disclosing all the payables of the Roxby entities. Morris is also charged with withholding taxes from his employees’ pay checks but then failing to pay over $252,000 to the Internal Revenue Service, to include Medicare and social security taxes. “Many were harmed by the actions of Jeffery Morris, including investors, employees, and vendors,” said United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld. “Thanks to the outstanding work of the FBI and IRS-CI, Mr. Morris will be held accountable.” “Mr. Morris is accused of taking advantage of innocent investors and creating a deceptive scheme for his own personal gain,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. “The FBI willrelentlessly pursue those who attempt to defraud and mislead people in our community.” U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the InternalRevenue Service-CI. A jury trial has been scheduled for November 14, 2023, at 9:00 am. An indictment is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Ladies and Gentlemen:Well, folks, it sure appears the federal government has issues with the ol’ boss, and U.S. Attorney William Ihlenfeld promised in the press release there’s additional charges coming in the future. Remember now, in this great country of ours the indicted is innocent until proven guilty, of course, but it sure seems karma came home to roost at the very moment Jeffrey James Morris was arraigned and charged with federal wire fraud Friday afternoon. Now, as for us, the 100 or so former employees, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing at all. And that includes the man’s inner circle, too, because those former “best friends” were caught off guard, as well.But hey, it was easy to take the job. The promised-to-be salary was more than any other business was offering at the time, and it didn’t matter what the position entailed. And yeah, we all wanted to play a part in accomplishing what Morris said he was going to do for the city of Wheeling.And somehow, it all sounded believable, and that’s only because we really, really wanted to believe it, and when Roxby was the talk of the town after acquiring three of Wheeling’s most mysterious properties, it sure seemed everyone wanted to get involved with IT, too. Now, whatever IT really was supposed to become, that’s for the federal government to sort out now, but former employees knew – because the fifth floor “Phantom” told us over and over again – the goal was to prove “Old Wheeling wrong.”Until that is, when the scheduled paychecks stopped hitting our accounts, the first few rounds of layoffs took place, those “best friends” walked away, and then, when the foreclosures took place and federal charges were levied. It sure seems now all the man ultimately proved was what everyone feared, and here we are today holding exactly the opposite of what we signed up for.Sad, really, for the company’s former workforce members, yes, but for everyone else, too.Sincerely,We're Right There With Ya

Ladies and Gentlemen:Well, folks, it sure appears the federal government has issues with the ole’ boss, and U.S. Attorney William Ihlenfeld promised in the press release there’s additional charges coming in the future. Remember now, in this great country of ours the indicted is innocent until proven guilty, of course, but it sure seems karma came home to roost at the very moment Jeffrey James Morris was arraigned and charged with federal wire fraud Friday afternoon. Now, as for us, the 100 or so former employees, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing at all. And that includes the man’s inner circle, too, because those former “best friends” were caught off guard, as well.But hey, it was easy to take the job. The promised-to-be salary was more than any other business was offering at the time, and it didn’t matter what the position entailed. And yeah, we all wanted to play a part in accomplishing what Morris said he was going to do for the city of Wheeling.And somehow, it all sounded believable, and that’s only because we really, really wanted to believe it, and when Roxby was the talk of the town after acquiring three of Wheeling’s most mysterious properties, it sure seemed everyone wanted to get involved with IT, too. Now, whatever IT really was supposed to become, that’s for the federal government to sort out now, but former employees knew – because the fifth floor “Phantom” told us over and over again – the goal was to prove “Old Wheeling wrong.”Until that is, when the scheduled paychecks stopped hitting our accounts, the first few rounds of layoffs took place, those “best friends” walked away, and then, when the foreclosures took place and federal charges were levied. It sure seems now all the man ultimately proved was what everyone feared, and here we are today holding exactly the opposite of what we signed up for.Sad, really, for the company’s former workforce members, yes, but for everyone else, too.Sincerely,We're Right There With Ya