Former AG candidate indicted over shooting

CLAY – A Clay County attorney has been indicted on charges he acted recklessly in shooting a houseguest following an argument earlier this year.

Hiram C. Lewis IV was one of 11 people indicted by the Clay County grand jury on Nov. 8. The grand jury charged Lewis, 41, with one count each of malicious wounding, domestic assault and wanton endangerment involving a firearm.

The indictment stems from an altercation Lewis had with Stephen Bogart in June at a camp Lewis owns and now resides on Elkhurst Road in Procious. Since the day he was arrested, Lewis has not denied shooting Bogart, but instead maintained it was done in self-defense.

At his preliminary hearing on June 19, Lewis testified Bogart was a transient he met earlier in the month while out driving. Claiming to be a homeless veteran, Lewis, himself a veteran, offered Bogart to stay at his camp in exchange for him agreeing to perform work on it.

According to Lewis, the altercation began the morning of June 13 when, at the request of a neighbor, Lewis told Bogart to turn down the volume of a stereo he was playing. Eventually, Lewis said he ordered Bogart out of the house when he refused.

Shortly thereafter, Lewis said Bogart became agitated, and began kicking the door to regain entry. Fearful for his life, Lewis obtained a pistol, and warned Bogart to stay out, Lewis said.

Despite the warning, Bogart successfully kicked open the door, resulting in Lewis shooting him in the knee. Though Bogart vowed to hunt Lewis down and kill him for shooting him, Lewis said he rendered first aid.

After a neighbor called 911 to report the shooting, Lewis said he began taking pictures of the scene. Following a cursory investigation, Lewis was arrested by state police, and taken to the Central Regional Jail and held on $100,000 bond.

After Magistrate Jeffery Boggs agreed to reduce his bond to $70,000, Lewis was released a few days later after family members posted it.

Initially, Lewis’ arraignment was scheduled for Nov. 14 before Judge Richard Facemire. However, it was continued until Nov. 29 due to Lewis’ attorney, Herbert Hively, being unable to attend.

Lewis remains free on bond.

In 2004, Lewis, the Republican nominee for attorney general, lost to incumbent Darrell McGraw by 6,000 votes. Four years later, he made another attempt to be GOP nominee, but lost to Charleston attorney Dan Greear.

In 2006, Lewis ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate to challenge then-Sen. Robert C. Byrd. However, he lost to Morgantown businessman John Raese.

Clay Circuit Court, case number 12-F-29