MOUNDSVILLE — A Glen Easton man is facing felony charges after allegedly swapping one agricultural student’s grand champion bacon with that of another student with the intent of financial gain.

The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday announced it had arrested Cody J. Lucey from Glen Easton on felony charges of obtaining money, property, and services by false pretenses and petit larceny.

The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office reports that a complaint filed in the County Magistrate Court details an incident involving an alleged theft reported by Principal Wyatt O’Neil at Cameron High School’s meat lab processing room.

The investigation began when O’Neil learned that Student A’s grand champion bacon had been sold by Student B during the West Virginia Future Farmers of America State Ham, Bacon, and Egg Show/Sale at Cedar Lakes Conference Center in Ripley.

An agriculture teacher at the school sorted through the bacon sold and found that two pieces were incorrectly tagged, though they both came from the same side of the hog, according to the report.

Student A’s grand champion bacon was sold at the Marshall County sale on March 4, 2025, for $935.28. Standard procedure dictated that the bacon be brought back to the school for cutting for the buyer.

O’Neil and Deputy D. Schrack continued to review the March 7, 2025 surveillance footage, according to the Sheriff’s Department. The video showed the defendant — identified as Student B’s father — allegedly removing Student A’s Grand Champion bacon from the sold box and placing it on another table.

He then allegedly removed the tag from this bacon, selected a replacement from the meat lab, and affixed Student A’s tag to the spare bacon after making a hole for it. The defendant allegedly returned the swapped bacon to the sold box, ensuring it was covered, and then allegedly tagged Student A’s bacon with Student B’s tag.

Consequently, Student B allegedly showed the alleged swapped bacon at the WV State FFA Ham, Bacon, and Egg Sale and won grand champion. The bacon later sold at auction for $2,100.

Tony Wood, communications director for Marshall County Schools, said the matter was now “in law enforcement hands” and declined further comment.