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FILE – West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice delivers his annual State of the State address in the House Chambers at the West Virginia Capitol, Jan. 11, 2023, in Charleston, W.Va. The federal government filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, May 30, against coal mines owned by the family of Justice seeking payment of unpaid penalties for previous mining law violations. (AP Photo/Chris Jackson, File)
CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – West Virginia Governor Jim Justice’s family-owned business is looking at more legal troubles in a lawsuit involving the seizure of a helicopter.
A federal judge has ordered Bluestone Resources, Inc. to ground its helicopter and get it ready for sale. Bluestone is a Justice Family business.
The order came as part of a lawsuit against the company, which owes the creditor, Caroleng Investments Limited, millions of dollars. According to the order, the amounts awarded in the final award to the plaintiff are $8,408,723.56 and an additional $1,723,796.64 in pre-award interests as well as other interests.
As far as the helicopter, Bluestone and its bank have seven days from the order, filed Wednesday to make a “joint proposal” regarding the sale of the helicopter as far as how and where it will be sold, who will conduct the sale and who will be responsible for the initial costs of the sale.
The order also says the helicopter must stay where it is currently being housed and that Bluestone, its agents and its representatives cannot use the helicopter for any purposes.
In October, court documents showed that U.S. Marshals were sent to seize the helicopter due to “unpaid debts.” The writ of execution for that seizure was filed Thursday, Oct. 5 in the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Virginia.
Court records from October stated this is in reference to a decision made by the United States District Court for the District of Delaware in 2021 that favored Caroleng over BRI. A total of $10,132,520.20 was awarded, plus a 9% yearly interest rate from May 13, 2020, until payment, according to court documents.
In November, a motion was filed and granted to move the case from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia’s Abingdon Division to its Roanoke Division.
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