Dear Editor:

As a candidate for Sheriff of Mineral County in the upcoming primary election, it has been brought to my attention by several people that there are citizens of Mineral County who believe I am somehow related to individuals who may have been targets of the recent raid at the Keyser Industrial Park by the FBI and local police officials. Some even are of the opinion that if I am elected, I will provide some influence as to whether they are charged or not. This can be no more further from the truth. I wish to assure those concerned citizens that I am not related in any way to anyone named as possibly involved in the raid.
Although my name has been, and currently is, pronounced synonymously with their name, there is a very distinct difference. The family’s roots evolved from entirely different regions of Italy. There are many in the Tri-State area that possess the same last name, are pronounced and spelled the same, but not related.
I grew up in the same neighborhood and have personally known the family for many years and have the utmost respect for them and their family. These people have been more than kind, caring, and giving to volunteer organizations and various towns throughout their tenure as business people providing goods and services at no cost. I don’t know if there was ever a time when they said no to anyone.
Although I am completely oblivious as to what transpired at the raid, just as many others are, there has been nothing in the news to indicate that any criminal charges are pending. In fact there has been nothing but rumors going around. So please don’t pass judgment upon them just as you would expect someone to do if one of your family members were involved in such an incident.
As the old saying goes, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”, I ask the citizens to not judge me by whom I am related to, or believed to be related to, but to judge me for who I am and what I stand for.
If anyone has any questions of me as to this issue, please feel free to contact me.

Patrick Amoroso
Piedmont