Lewis
CLAY – A Monongalia County attorney and unsuccessful Republican candidate for attorney general has been charged with shooting an apparent house guest in Clay County.
Hiram C. Lewis IV was arrested by West Virginia State Police and charged Wednesday with malicious wounding and wanton endangerment. The charges stem from an altercation Lewis, 41, of Morgantown, had with Stephen Bogart at property Lewis owns on Elkhurst Road in Procious.
According to WCHS-TV 8/WVAH-FOX 11, Lewis shot Bogart in the leg when he kicked in the door, and entered the house. Following the shooting, Bogart was taken to Charleston Area Medical Center – General Division.
Though Bogart claimed to be a resident, Lewis said he is a homeless veteran who's been a guest at his camp for the last week until he finds stable employment. Lewis did not elaborate further except to say, "he went crazy today."
As he was being taken into custody, Lewis, who was sporting a goatee, white T-shirt and a golden necklace with an attached crucifix, said he shot Bogart in self-defense and would eventually be cleared of any wrongdoing.
"I'm completely innocent of any charges they want to file against me," Lewis said. "I was totally within my rights. I was in my home when I shot him."
A sole practitioner in Morgantown, Lewis waded into the political waters in 2004 by running for attorney general against incumbent Darrell V. McGraw. Despite being unknown, Lewis lost by less than 6,000 votes.
Two years later, Lewis filed to run against Sen. Robert C. Byrd. However, he lost in the Republican primary to Morgantown businessman John Raese.
In 2008, Lewis, again sought to be the Republican standard-bearer for attorney general, but was upended in the May primary by Charleston attorney Dan Greear.
As of presstime, Lewis was incarcerated at the Central Regional Jail in Sutton in lieu of $100,000 bond
