Pike County Judge Indicted in $400K Payroll Fraud Scheme

A Pike County circuit judge has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of mail fraud and theft of government funds in connection with a scheme that allegedly defrauded the state of more than $400,000 through a fake employee arrangement.

Howard Keith Hall, currently serving as a circuit judge in Pike County, faces two counts of mail fraud and one count of theft, according to an indictment returned Thursday in U.S. District Court in Lexington.

Federal prosecutors allege that while serving as Pike County Attorney, Hall orchestrated a long-running scheme involving a part-time employee — referred to in court documents only as “Attorney A.” Hall appointed the individual to his office in October 2010, but the indictment claims Attorney A did little to no work and never physically appeared in the county attorney’s office.

Despite that, Hall allegedly submitted false certifications for nearly a decade — from October 2010 through May 2020 — falsely stating that Attorney A met the required minimum of 100 working hours per month. Those reports were sent to Frankfort, forming the basis for the mail fraud charges.

The dummy employee received approximately $290,140 in gross pay, but with added benefits such as health insurance, retirement, and federal contributions, the total cost to the government reached $440,587 — the amount federal prosecutors say was stolen.

In a further twist, the indictment claims that from October 2011 to October 2020, Hall reported employment with Attorney A’s private law firm and received $505,900 in payments from the attorney during that time. It is not clear whether Hall performed any legitimate work for that firm.

Under Kentucky law, county attorneys are allowed to maintain a private practice while also performing public duties that include prosecuting minor offenses, enforcing child support, and collecting delinquent taxes. Hall held the county attorney position for 24 years before resigning in 2020 to run for circuit judge.

If convicted, Hall faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of mail fraud and up to 10 years for the theft charge. The indictment also seeks to forfeit any illegally obtained assets.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew A. Stinnett has issued a summons for Hall to appear in court on May 16 in Lexington. Hall has not commented publicly on the charges.

This isn’t the judge’s first controversy. The Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission recently reprimanded Hall for inappropriate remarks in court and for threatening to “make life difficult” for a prosecutor.

The case underscores growing scrutiny on public officials in Eastern Kentucky and the need for greater oversight in publicly funded legal offices.