Man who posed as mining inspector sentenced

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (AP) - An eastern Kentucky man has been sentenced to three years in federal prison on charges he posed as a qualified underground coal mining instructor and filled out false papers saying individuals were trained for jobs in the field.

According to the U.S. Attorney's office, 21-year-old Paul Jason Arnett of Salyersville was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Pikeville. Arnett was charged with making false statements on a Mine Health Safety Administration form and making false statements to MSHA agents.

Prosecutors say Arnett filled out MSHA forms saying people from Magoffin, Floyd and Johnson counties had completed training that qualified them to be employed as underground coal miners although he was not an MSHA-approved coal mining instructor.

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