Funding Comes from September Firearms Auction
State Treasurer Riley Moore made a stop in Elkins on Wednesday, Oct. 9 to present three unclaimed property checks totaling nearly $40,000 to the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, the Elkins Police Department and the Mountain Region Drug and Violent Crime Task Force.
“This unclaimed property funding comes from my Office’s firearms auction held last month,” Treasurer Moore said. “Returning this money will allow law enforcement agencies in Elkins to purchase new equipment and better serve our communities."
A check presentation was held outside the Jennings Randolph Federal Center in Elkins on Wednesday, Oct. 9. The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office received a check worth $4,143.75, the Elkins Police Department received a $5,703.50 check and the Mountain Region Drug and Violent Crime Task Force received a $27,960.75 check – one the largest returns from last month’s firearms auction.
“We are very grateful for this funding. Whether we seize firearms or there’s firearms that become unclaimed property, we’ll turn them over the State Treasurer’s Office to be auctioned,” Mountain Region Drug and Crime Task Force Commander Cpl. David VanMeter said. “This will help us buy equipment to get drugs off the streets.”
The task force covers Randolph, Pocahontas, Webster, Tucker, Barbour, Upshur, Lewis, Gilmer and Braxton counties. In Elkins, Police Chief Travis Bennett said they plan to use their unclaimed property funds to purchase new equipment.
“We’ve been doing this for several years and it’s a really good program,” Chief Bennett said. “The Treasurer’s Office makes it really easy for departments to take things that are cluttering up their evidence rooms and make it into money that is usable for us.”
Treasurer Moore recently announced that his Office’s firearms auction in September raised more than $176,000 to benefit the 18 participating law enforcement agencies, including the Elkins Police Department, the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office and the Mountain Region Drug and Violent Crime Task Force – upholding the previous record of more than $141,000 raised during the March 2023 firearms auction.
There were more than 300 lots consisting of 627 firearms and 300 pounds of ammunition up for bid, making it the largest inventory for the firearms auction in Office history.
Randolph County Sheriff Rob Elbon, Jr. said the funding only enhances the work of sheriff’s deputies who need updated equipment on the road.
“That will end up in more firearms and things like that that we collect and turn back in for next year,” Sheriff Elbon said. “We’re looking at license plate readers and it tells us about stolen vehicles. That’s one thing we’re interested in.”
The Treasurer’s Office set a new monthly record for the highest amount of unclaimed property returned to individuals, businesses and organizations in September. The Office’s Unclaimed Property Division returned nearly $6.2 million to rightful owners during the month.
“I’m proud my Office is returning this funding to our brave men and women across the state of West Virginia,” Treasurer Moore said. “I want to encourage individuals and other organizations to keep checking our unclaimed property database because you never know if there may be unclaimed funds in your name.”
For more information about the unclaimed property program or to find out if the Office is holding any money for you or your family, visit www.WVUnclaimedProperty.gov.
What is Unclaimed Property?
Unclaimed property can include financial accounts or items of value in which the owner has not initiated any activity for one year or longer. Common examples include unpaid life insurance benefits, forgotten bank accounts and unused rebate cards. (While the title includes the word “property,” it does not however include real estate.)
West Virginia’s unclaimed property laws protect the public by ensuring money and property owed to them is returned to them, rather than remaining permanently with financial institutions, business associations, governments and other entities. The Treasurer seeks to reunite the unclaimed property, including uncashed paychecks, stocks, or safe deposit box contents, with its owner.
Nationwide, nearly 33 million people in the United States – one in every 10 – are estimated to have unclaimed property available for them to claim.
How Can I Find Unclaimed Property in My Name?
West Virginians searching for lost financial assets can go to www.WVUnclaimedProperty.gov. In addition to finding property, the website will also help you track a claim.
A demonstration of how to use the Unclaimed Property search site is available on the Treasury’s YouTube page, at: https://youtu.be/K09yQ7YNKlE.
To search for lost financial assets outside West Virginia, visit www.MissingMoney.com.