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Whoever happens to stop by this blog may wonder why I started it. Whenever I read news stories online I always like to put a face to the story. So I got to thinking maybe other people would as well. I always keep up on WV news and most stories don't have the mugshots with them so I hunt them up online and post them with the story. It's not that hard and I don't know why the state news sites don't do it

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Man Arrested for Robbing Elderly


The Mingo County Sheriff’s Department arrested a man this week after he allegedly beat and attempted to rob an elderly man in Taylorville.

David Michael Roberts, of Varney, was arrested by Investigating Officer Lt. J.D. Ferris late Wednesday evening for malicious wounding.

According to the criminal complaint filed in Mingo County Magistrate Court, police responded after 911 dispatched them to the residence of 93-year-old Buddy Mounts in Taylorville.

Mounts had been struck in the head causing a wound to his ear. Lt. Ferris stated in the complaint that Mounts’ ear had been torn from his head and was hanging by a small amount of skin.

Ferris spoke with a witness Jamie Butcher who said that he saw Mounts flee his apartment and went immediately inside the residence witnessing Roberts wiping blood from his hands.

Butcher also said that he seen blood on the defendants shirt.

Roberts was identified by the victim and said that defendant had attempted to take his money.

Roberts was arraigned in magistrate court and bond was set at $10,000. He was then transported to Southwestern Regional Jail

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Biller Gets 10 Years


A Barbour County man who plead guilty to firing a gun at his girlfriend and instigating a four hour stand-off with police is sentenced.

Brian Biller will spend the next 10 years in prison.

Biller plead guilty to two felony counts of wanton endangerment and assaulting a police officer and brandishing a deadly weapon, which are both misdemeanors.

Judge Alan Moats dismissed the misdemeanor charges against Biller for time he's already served.

Last September, Biller was drunk and got into an argument with his girlfriend and fired a gun inside their car. When police got on scene he threatened to shoot himself and police. After the stand-off he attempted to ram a police cruiser.

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Man Arraigned On Sex Crimes


FAIRMONT -- A Marion County man accused of several sex related crimes was arraigned in Fairmont, Friday afternoon.
Andrew Chicarelli, 20, has pleaded not guilty to 15 counts of sexual assault and abuse by a parent, guardian, or custodian and one count of conspiracy to commit a felony.

Chicarelli's parents, Lawrence and Lisa Chicarelli, face similar charges.

They were arraigned last week.

Andrew Chicarelli's trial is set for the week of Nov. 18.

Chicarelli is still being held in the North Central Regional Jail.

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Arguments in Taylor Case To Be Heard


FAIRMONT — The State Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments in the high-profile Lincoln Taylor murder trial in the coming months.

Taylor, a 25-year-old Huttonsville native, stands accused of first-degree murder for pulling the trigger that killed 22-year-old Derrick “Lil’ D” Osborne on Memorial Day 2007.

And this week, justices with the Supreme Court of Appeals voted in a slim 3-2 majority to hear oral arguments in the case following two motions made by defense attorney Martin Sheehan last month. These motions basically asked the high court to overturn a mid-August ruling made by Marion Judge David R. Janes, which denied a previous attempt made by Sheehan to throw out a huge chunk of the state’s case on the grounds of doubly jeopardy.

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6 Arraigned in Barbour County

Barbour County Circuit Judge Alan D. Moats arraigned the six individuals Wednesday who were indicted by a Barbour County Grand Jury earlier in the week.

Justin E. Mayle, 22, of 601 Maple Ave., Philippi, appeared with Howard Ferris and pleaded innocent to one count of second-degree sexual assault, a felony. Moats continued Mayle's current bond under the condition he participate in the community correction program.

According to the indictment, Mayle is accused of unlawfully engaging in sexual intercourse with a male victim while the victim was physically helpless on Dec. 21, 2008.

Bryant M. Cummings, 20, of Route 53, Box 223, Coalton, and Shawn M. Lindsay, 21, of Beverly, appeared together and both pleaded innocent to one count each of breaking and entering and conspiracy.

Attorney Leckta Poling represented Cummings and attorney Lisa Weese Ferguson represented Lindsay. Moats ordered both men could remain on bond under the condition they participate in the community corrections program.

According to the indictments, the men are accused of breaking into a building owned by Max Chevalier on Jan. 28.

Garrett J. Summerfield, 18, of Route 1, Box 218-2, Philippi, appeared with Ferguson and pleaded innocent to one count of breaking and entering, a felony. Moats continued Summerfield's bond under the condition he participate in the community corrections program.

According to the indictment, Summerfield is accused of breaking into a building owned by McVickers Salvage on May 4.

Richard W. Koehlerschmidt, of Route 3, Box 192-A, Philippi, appeared with Ferris and pleaded innocent to two counts of failure to register change of sex offender information, a felony. Moats did not set bond because Koehlerschmidt is currently incarcerated at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on separate charges.

According to the indictment, Koehlerschmidt failed to provide a change in information according to the Sex Offender Registration Act on May 22 and Aug. 30.

Dianna L. Zajic, of 403 Maple Ave., Philippi, appeared with attorney Karen Hill Johnson and pleaded innocent to one count of embezzlement, a felony. Moats set bond at $5,000 and ordered Zajic have no contact with the victim.

According to the indictment, Zajic is accused of stealing money from a joint account with Norma L. McCoy that was supposed to be used solely for the purpose of paying McCoy's bills.

Barbour County Prosecuting Attorney E. Lynn Phillips presented the state's cases

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School Bus Driver Arrested on Drug Charge


Anthony James Gaddy

Nakeem Laguerre
HARPERS FERRY - A Jefferson County school bus driver was one of two people arrested on drug charges Wednesday afternoon after a traffic stop led to the seizure of marijuana.

Anthony James Gaddy, 25, was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to transport a controlled substance into the state.

His passenger, 41-year-old Nakeem Laguerre, of Baltimore, was charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and transporting a controlled substance into the state.

They were taken to Eastern Regional Jail and later arraigned. As of Wednesday night they both remained in custody at the jail.

The arrest came after the Harpers Ferry Police Department was provided with information by West Virginia State Police drug task force agents that a vehicle was expected to be transporting drugs into the state.

Harpers Ferry police received the information at about 11:32 a.m. Wednesday and set up positions at the state line. They were provided with a description of the vehicle, a maroon Mitsubishi Gallant, and a description of the passenger, later identified as Laguerre.

Gaddy's vehicle matched the description and was pulled over at the Bolivar traffic light at about 12:15 p.m. for speeding, police said.

After being pulled over, Gaddy provided police with his state bus driver operator's card and identified himself as a Jefferson County School bus driver. Following the traffic stop, police found a partially exposed baggie containing marijuana in Laguerre's front pocket. They also found marijuana that had been dumped outside of the car, as well as a pill bottle containing percocet, police said.

In all, about 21 individual packets each containing about 1 gram of marijuana were seized in the traffic stop.

Harpers Ferry Police Chief Donald Buracker and Deputy G.W. Kilmer, a K-9 officer with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department, conducted the traffic stop and arrest.

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Trail set for inmate who killed fellow inmate

A man accused of killing a fellow inmate at the Preston County Jail in 2005 will stand trial next year.


Leonard Wotring III has pleaded not guilty in the first-degree murder of Timothy Daft, of Independence, who had been in the Kingwood jail on charges of sexually abusing a toddler.


Wotring was indicted last week, and his trial is set for Jan. 12.


He is now an inmate at the Mount Olive Correctional Center, serving 3-15 years for the attempted murder of his grandfather.


Daft's family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit, claiming Daft was attacked by Wotring and other inmates. It claims then-Sheriff Ron Crites knew about the attack and did nothing, then concealed information from Daft's family.

The death was initially labeled a suicide.

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Man charged with Sexual Assault and Incest


Melvin Craig Mullins, 39, of Tioga, was charged with first-degree sexual assault and incest after three female juveniles told Nicholas County sheriff's deputies they had been repeatedly abused while in Mullins' care, according to a press release issued by the Nicholas County Sheriff's Department.

Additional charges may be filed. Mullins is in the Central Regional Jail in lieu of $900,000 bond.

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2 Men Sentenced

Perry Lee Smearman II, 29, of Charleston, was sentenced to one to five years for failing to register as a sex offender.

Smearman served two and a half years for a 1999 conviction for first-degree sexual abuse against a young, female family member.



Rodney Lee Hypes Sr., 48, of Summersville, received a two-to-10 year sentence for his August conviction for operating or attempting to operate a clandestine drug laboratory.

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Friday, October 30, 2009

Man stabbed 6 times in bar fight



One man is stabbed six times during a bar fight at Overtime Sports Lounge in South Charleston early Friday morning.

Police say the man was stuck twice in the kidneys and once in the chest. They say his injuries are not life-threatening. He was transported to Thomas Memorial Hospital.

The other man is in custody. He'll be charged with malicious wounding. He was transported to jail.

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Man arrested after westside robbery


CHARLESTON, W.Va.- Charleston Police were able to quickly nab a man they say robbed a man of his coat and phone, but another is still on the run.

It happened in the 1300 block of Grant Street in Charleston Tuesday morning.


Detectives say the alleged victim, 40-year-old Gregory Jones, was attacked by two men who beat him and then took his jacket and cellphone.

The victim ran and spotted an officer driving by about a block away.

The police officer was able to search the area and track down one of the men, 24-year-old Mathew Suttle. He is charged with first degree robbery.

Police are still looking for the other robber. Anyone with information is asked to contact detectives at (304) 348-6480.

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Hedrick sentenced on sexual abuse


KEYSER, W.Va. - A co-owner of the Smoke Hole Resort near Petersburg was sentenced to two to 10 years in prison and fined $20,000 on Oct. 21 in Mineral County Circuit Court by Judge Phil Jordan.

Jerry Lee Hedrick, 60, was sentenced on two felony charges of first-degree sexual abuse after being convicted of the offenses in a jury trial in Mineral County Circuit Court last May.

Jordan sentenced Hedrick to one to five years on each count with the sentences to be served consecutively. In addition, the judge ordered Hedrick to be registered under strict supervision as a sex offender for the next 25 years.

The victim, a single mother in her 20s, had been employed as a housekeeper at the resort when she was sexually assaulted by Hedrick. The incident occurred in July 2007 when the victim had been employed there for less than a week. Hedrick reportedly tried to force himself on her, grabbing her breast and buttocks in the process. The victim left the hotel and never returned.

Hedrick was indicted by a Grant County grand jury on July 8, 2008.

The case was prosecuted by Grant County Prosecuting Attorney Dennis DiBennedeto and eventually moved to Mineral County after the court granted a change of venue request. Hedrick was represented by Elkins attorney Stephen Jory.

According to court documents, the probation officer who conducted the pre-sentencing investigation recommended the maximum sentence.

At the conclusion of the hour-long hearing, Jordan said, "Mr. Hedrick, you may be a millionaire, but you are morally bankrupt." Hedrick was then taken into custody by the court for transport to the Potomac Highlands Regional Jail to await transfer to a state penitentiary to begin serving his sentence.

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Clarksburg Police Arrest Suspect in Robbery


Clarksburg Police are investigating two separate robberies from Wednesday night, and manage to catch one of the suspects.

Adam Bowers, 24, of Clarksburg is charged with robbery and burglary.

He allegedly broke into a woman's house on Clay Street and demanded money and pills.

He ended up punching the woman in the face several times before running out the door with cash and a pill bottle.

Police later found Bowers hiding behind a parked car. He's in the North Central Regional Jail.

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Man Shot by Police Arrested After Release from Hospital


HUNTINGTON -- A man shot by a Huntington police officer last week was released from the hospital and is now at Western Regional Jail.
Walter Wilson, 29, was released from St. Mary's Medical center Thursday evening. He is charged with wanton endangerment and obstructing a police officer.

Huntington police officer Richard Kern shot Wilson Oct. 19, during an incident at the Speedway on Sixth Avenue and Hal Greer Boulevard.

Kern was on administrative leave but is now back on patrol.

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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

2 Va residents arrested in deaths of 3 in WV

MATHIAS, W.Va.

Two Virginia residents have been arrested in connection with the deaths of three family members in West Virginia.

Police say 34-year-old Nakia Heath Keller and 34-year-old Lorie Ann Taylor, both of Folks Run, Va., were arrested in Virginia on fugitive from justice warrants. Each waived extradition to West Virginia.

The specific charges weren't released.

Police say Taylor is the ex-wife of one of the victims, 34-year-old Dennis "Chip" Taylor.

The bodies of Dennis Taylor, his wife, 38-year-old Alaina Taylor, and her 5-year-old daughter, Kaylee Grace Whetzel, were found Friday night in their burned home in Mathias.

Police say all three victims had been shot. The fire was ruled an arson.

Dennis Taylor was a firefighter in Rockingham County, Va

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Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Man gets 22 years for robbing disabled man


A man who robbed his disabled victim at gunpoint, then threw his cane into the woods and drove away laughing will spend 22 years in prison.

Berkeley County Circuit Judge Christopher Wilkes also ordered 20-year-old Andrew Creager of Bunker Hill to pay $563 in restitution. The victim had just cashed his disability check.

Prosecutors wanted a 40-year sentence, citing Creager's criminal record and another pending indictment.

The robbery occurred in January 2008 as the victim looked for a ride to a friend's house.

Creager also stole his mobile phone and medication container, then left the man stranded on a dirt road near the Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport.

Creager apologized to his victim Monday and said he's trying to change his life.

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Driver charged in wheelchair accident


KENOVA -- Investigators charged an out-of-state tractor-trailer driver Monday in connection with the death of a disabled man who was well-known to many people in Kenova.

Deris Scott, 68, died about 10 a.m. Monday after his motorized wheelchair collided with the rear portion of a wide-turning tractor-trailer. The impact knocked Scott to the ground, but the truck continued on, dragging the wheelchair underneath its trailer.

Pieces of the wheelchair stretched for a quarter mile. The base landed two blocks south, next to a grocery store at Chestnut Street. The actual padded chair lay next to the curb at Sycamore Street, south of the town's green-painted underpass.

Police credited another motorist with chasing the tractor-trailer and forcing it to stop just north of the Interstate 64 interchange, approximately three-quarters of a mile from the crash site.

The driver -- Michael J. Joyce, 43, of South Carolina -- was charged with felony negligent homicide, along with two misdemeanors, failure to stop at the scene and accident causing death, said Bob McComas, chief of the Kenova Department of Public Safety. The chief described the crash as "a freak accident," but tragic. Indications were the driver never saw Scott crossing the intersection and never realized the collision had occurred, McComas said.

Kenova Elementary School custodian Steve Sullivan and Bernard Little were among the first witnesses to respond. Sullivan heard the collision and watched sparks fly as the truck drove away. He yelled and motioned for its driver to stop to no avail.

Little heard the impact from across U.S. 60 at the Dollar General. Little, a member of the store's management team, rushed to the crash and placed his jacket over Scott's body. He died within moments.

Word quickly spread to Scott's brother, Ara. He hurried to the scene looking for answers.

"He was a great guy, everybody liked him," he said.

Scott was a double amputee whose disability stemmed from his previous work with the state Division of Highways. Ara Scott said his brother's disability led him to befriend others who used wheelchairs. They frequently moved around the town.

Used car dealer Ron Ferguson frequently saw Deris Scott pass by and described him to be a local fixture. Ferguson's dealership is located at 14th Street and U.S. 60. He heard Monday's impact, but initially believed the truck hit the curb or a utility pole. He estimates he hears that sound 50 times a day, but he said this sound was different.

"This one was a little bit louder than usual," he said.

Kenova Elementary sits across 14th Street from Ferguson's dealership. Employees at the school were among those who reportedly witnessed different aspects of the crash. Principal Deidre Farley heard sirens from the responding officials. Some of her teachers saw its aftermath. She said the students were shielded from the scene; classrooms did not have windows facing the crash site.

United Bank employee Morgan Keyser heard the impact a block away. She looked outside and saw the smoke coming from the wheelchair at Chestnut and 14th streets. She said 14th Street motorists travel too fast without paying attention, causing each intersection to be particularly dangerous.

"It's ridiculous. It really is," she said.

McComas said pedestrian-involved crashes are rare in Kenova, but he acknowledged 14th Street and its intersections can be dangerous because of vehicle speed as motorists use the city route as a short cut from Interstate 64 to U.S. 60. He estimates officers have written 25 to 30 tickets during the past two weeks.

Farley was not among those who believe the intersection is overly dangerous, but she said safety concerns do keep her from allowing students from crossing at the busy intersection. She said a city police officer also watches the area when children are near the road.

Farley's preschool students were among those used to seeing Deris Scott out and about. Aide Anndrea Meadows and her students would frequently see Deris Scott on walks to the library.

"He was just a very nice man. He would always speak to the kids and say, 'I hope you have a good day,'" she recalled. "I'm going miss him, but I think the kids will miss just saying 'Hi.' He was just a common guy they always saw."

McComas also was accustomed to seeing Deris Scott wheel through downtown. The chief said he became emotional during interviews earlier in the day.

"He was a super nice guy," McComas said. "Life is so timid. One minute you're here. The next minute you're dead."

Investigators closed 14th Street between Chestnut and Oak streets to reconstruct the crash.

The Kenova Department of Public Safety investigated the crash with assistance from the West Virginia State Police, Wayne County Sheriff's Office and the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office. An enforcement unit from the state Public Service Commission also was involved since the accident included a commercial vehicle.

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Former WV official get 1 year prison sentence

A former West Virginia official in charge of reviewing and awarding contracts for asbestos and lead abatement projects has been sentenced to a year in prison.

Paul Prendergast, of Gaithersburg, Md., pleaded guilty in 2007 to violating the federal Travel Act by leaking confidential bidding information to a Maryland company.

Prendergast was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte, who also fined the 47-year-old $3,000.

In exchange for inside information, court documents say Prendergast received money and other benefits from the Maryland contractor, including three payments of $6,000, $2,500 and $2,500 between 2000 and 2003.

Prendergast was an occupational health and safety coordinator at the West Virginia Department of Administration from 1998 to March 2003.

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Area man given life sentence


MARTINSBURG -A Martinsburg man sentenced Monday to life in prison with the possibility of parole under West Virginia's three strikes rule has been arrested more than 70 times since 1986 and has more than 30 criminal convictions, a Berkeley County prosecutor told the sentencing judge.

Monday's sentencing of 41-year-old Charles E. Redman was little more than formality, as Circuit Court Judge Christopher Wilkes was bound by state statute to sentence Redman to life in prison after he was tried and found to be a recidivist offender in September.

In accordance with West Virginia law, anyone convicted of crime punishable by a penitentiary sentence who has been found to have been convicted of two other offenses that are also punishable by a penitentiary sentence can be tried as a recidivist offender.

The state, represented by Berkeley County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Gregory Jones, told Wilkes prior to the pronouncement of the sentence that Redman had been arrested for about 78 different crimes since 1986 and already served about 10 years in prison throughout his lifetime.

"He's been convicted of approximately 35 violations of the law," Jones said before requesting that Wilkes impose the life sentence.

Redman, who is represented by local attorney Craig Manford, is expected to appeal the case. Manford previously unsuccessfully argued, based on proportionality, that the punishment under the recidivist statute was excessive in light of the three convictions the state used to try Redman as repeat offender.

"If I'm to rule as to proportionality, does that not then open the door for me to review the defendant's criminal history like I would if I was the sentencing judge in a traditional sentencing?" Wilkes said.

Wilkes stressed that the state's recidivist statute doesn't grant the trial court discretion in sentencing for a defendant tried and determined to be a recidivist. The proportionality of the sentence, he said, would be up to an appellate court to decide.

Recidivist proceedings were brought against Redman after an information was filed by the state following his most recent conviction in June for felony unlawful assault, also known as unlawful wounding.

The conviction stemmed from a July 2008 incident in which Redman was accused of stabbing another man with a pocket knife on West Race Street in Martinsburg, according to court records.

The two other qualifying convictions the state used to try Redman as a recidivist offender were convictions he received in 1987 for unlawful wounding and a 2001 conviction on a federal charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

At the close of the recidivist trial in September, a jury deliberated for a mere 20 minutes before determining that Redman was in fact previously convicted of two prior felony offenses preceding the June felony conviction.

Jurors were not asked to determine Redman's guilt or innocence. Instead, they were only tasked with deciding if he was the same Charles Redman the state alleged had been convicted of the previous two charges following his June conviction. As a result, Redman's defense was limited only to the issue of identity.

Under state statute, Redman would be eligible for parole after serving no less than 15 years in prison on the life sentence, though there is no guarantee he would be granted parole.

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First 2 in pagan biker club plead guilty

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Two men named in a federal racketeering indictment aimed at the Pagans Motorcycle Club have entered the first guilty pleas in the case.

Thirty-year-old Charleston resident Eric W. Lyttle pleaded guilty Tuesday to threatening a crime of violence in aid of racketeering in Charleston. Fifty-four-year-old Philadelphia resident William Hankins Sr. pleaded guilty to interstate travel in aid of racketeering.

Two other men named in the 44-count indictment were scheduled to plead guilty later in the day.

The indictment accuses Pagans members and associates from West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Florida of a host of crimes including murder conspiracy and kidnapping.

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Saturday, October 24, 2009

WV football player arrested


For the second time this week, a W.V.U. football player is arrested.

Defensive Back Courtney Stuart has been arrested in Mon County on charges out of Arizona.

He's charged with burglary, trafficking stolen property, and being a fugitive from justice.

Stuart knew he was facing the charges when he transferred to W.V.U. from Phoenix College in 2008.

But, his attorney says the charges came as a shock because he had considered the incident closed.

Stuart's being held in the North Central Regional Jail on a $20,000 bond.

Defensive Lineman Scooter Berry was arrested last weekend on public intoxication and disorderly conduct charges.

Read more...

Local miner tries to rob lounge


A local coal miner is behind bars for allegedly robbing the Hot Spot lounge in Westover with an air gun.

The robbery happened Thursday morning, after 23 year-old Eric Wade finished his shift. Wade allegedly armed himself with an air pistol, walked into the business, and demanded cash from the clerk. But the clerk pressed an alarm and when Wade tried to make his exit police were waiting for him at the door.

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Taylor County tax deputy pleads guilty

GRAFTON -- A former Taylor County chief tax deputy has pleaded guilty to embezzling from the county. At Kay Thorn's arraignment Thursday afternoon she withdrew her prior not guilty plea and entered a guilty plea. "I took the money to gamble sir," Thorn said in court. Judge John Henning, who was appointed by the state Supreme Court, accepted Thorn's plea. Special Prosecutor E. Lynn Phillips, from Barbour County, recommended probation for Thorn pending a favorable presentence investigation. Thorn's sentence will most likely include some kind of restitution, officials say. Sentencing in scheduled for Dec. 3. An audit showed that $114,068.75 went missing between August 2004 and March 2009. Thorn worked in courthouse for 33 years.

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Judge increases bond for fugitive wanted in WV


A district judge in Colorado this past week increased the bond of fugitive Howard Dotson, 60, who is wanted in West Virginia on suspicion of 96 counts of sexual assault.

The bond was increased to $1 million from $260,000.

Dotson was indicted on 96 counts of sexual assault for 10 years of alleged abuse of his four stepdaughters.

Court documents say Dotson fathered a child with one of the victims.

Dotson’s trial had been postponed four times, from March 11, 1997, to July 15, 1997, then Dec. 2, 1997. Finally, when Dotson failed to appear at the March 31, 2008 trial date, a warrant was issued for his arrest.

It is uncertain how long Dotson has lived and worked in Colorado. Records on file at the Boone County Courthouse list Dotson’s last known residence in the state of Indiana.

According to authorities, Dotson has a home and family in Colorado and is reportedly fighting extradition back to West Virginia.

Dotson’s bond was reported increased not only because of his outstanding warrant, but also because of suspicious circumstances surrounding his arrest on Sept. 27 in Colorado.

On that day, the Colorado State Patrol arrested Dotson after a traffic accident on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, cruelty toward a child, a traffic offense, and fraudulent impersonation, according to the online booking record at the Mesa County Sheriff's Office.

Reportedly, Dotson and a girl, 10, suffered minor injuries when a Dodge Caravan flipped over onto its top.

“(EMT) told me that when he asked the girl what they were doing out in Whitewater, she told him she didn’t want to talk about it,” the affidavit reportedly states.

“We’re just waiting for the charges against Dotson in Colorado to be finished up,” a source in the Prosecutor’s Office said. Dotson is scheduled to return to court in Colorado on the charges he faces there, as well as his extradition to Boone County in November.

Authorities in Boone County say Dotson can waive extradition, and they are prepared to get a governor’s warrant and present it to the court in Colorado.

“One way or another, now that he’s caught, we will get him into a West Virginia court," arresting officer Spangler has stated.

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Pagans Also Face State Charges


Michael Grayson

Floyd Moore

David Barbeito

Four members of the Pagan Motorcycle Club, including the national president, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and kidnapping charges in Kanawha County Circuit Court Thursday.

David Barbeito of Maryland, national vice president Floyd Moore of St. Albans and two more club members from out of state will be tried together. Kanawha County Circuit Judge Jim Stucky set the date for February 22nd.

All four appeared in court together, their hands and feet cuffed, dressed in orange jumpsuits.

Fifty-five members of the Pagans from several states were rounded up earlier this month and charged with federal crimes ranging from racketeering to conspiracy to commit murder.

Of the four in court Thursday, only Michael Grayson, is eligible for parole. His attorney says he plans to file those papers with the circuit court.

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Logan man nets 1 to 10 in railroad theft plea


A Logan County man named in a six-count grand jury indictment concerning offenses against Norfolk Southern Railway Co., received two prison sentences Thursday of one to 10 years each.

Jerry Jerome McNeely, 21, of Omar, appeared before Chief Judge Michael Thornsbury as he pled guilty to two charges — breaking and entering a storage building owned by Norfolk Southern and grand larceny.

The sentences will be served concurrently (at the same time). McNeely was assessed the usual court fees and was directed to make restitution to Norfolk Southern Railway. He will receive credit for time served in jail while awaiting trial.

McNeely waived pre-sentencing investigation and probation after pleading guilty and was then sentenced to a state correctional facility. He was represented by Attorney Kathy Cisco Sturgell. Assistant Mingo County Prosecutor Teresa D. Maynard appeared for the state.

In return for his pleas, four other charges will be dismissed by the state. One includes conspiracy with others in breaking and entering a storage building owned by Norfolk Southern on June 19, 2008.

McNeely’s other charges were conspiring to steal and carry away property owned by Norfolk Southern Railway and valued at $1,000 or more; feloniously injuring and defacing guard rails owned by Norfolk Southern and valued at approximately $3,447.26, and holding and using an altered registration plate in violation of West Virginia Code. Besides the guard rails, stolen railway equipment also included rail lubricator equipment valued at approximately $14,970.91

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Fairmont man charged with embezzlement


FAIRMONT — A local man has been arrested and charged with embezzling thousands of dollars from the Fairmont-Marion County Food Pantry.

Mitch Weaver, 51, of Fairmont, former director of the food pantry, was arrested late Thursday by the Marion County Sheriff’s Department. As of Friday, Weaver was incarcerated in North Central Regional Jail. His bond was set at $20,000.

Detective Chip Phillips said Weaver allegedly embezzled about $53,792 from May 2005 to March 2009. He said when the pantry’s board of directors discovered the shortage, it contacted the sheriff’s department, which conducted a thorough investigation into the organization’s financial records.

Phillips said if Weaver is convicted for embezzling, a felony, he faces up to 10 years in jail and fines.

In late March, Weaver resigned as director, according to a letter sent by the food pantry to volunteers and concerned parties. The letter said the food pantry’s governing board decided to conduct an audit, hire a new director and reorganize.

The board also decided to temporarily close the pantry in March due to a lack of funds and food, but it reopened in May.

Many area churches and organizations have contributed to the food pantry for years.

The pantry has fed thousands of people for nearly 30 years, but it closed briefly in late March to reorganize. Located at 107 Jefferson St., the pantry serves 300-400 families or more than 1,200 people a month.

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Doss jailed on gun charge


Dana R. Doss, 51, of Chapmanville, was arrested in Logan County by WVSP troopers P.A. Jones and J.E. Williams for brandishing a weapon, domestic assault, domestic battery, possession of a controlled substance and public intoxication on Oct. 15.

According to reports, the officers responded to a call from Crawley Creek that said Doss was making verbal threats while holding a shotgun in the roadway.

Trooper Williams frisked Doss and reportedly found two Aprazolam pills in his right front pocket.

The police report said Doss had been in an argument with the victim at his residence and the victim fled to a neighbor’s home.

The officers recovered two shotgun shells from Doss' pocket and he reportedly advised the officers he had been drinking.

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Man Accused of Raping Sleeping Roommate


KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va - One man is in jail accused of raping his roommate while she was sleeping and under the influence of medication.

Police say Jeremy White had sex with his roommate Friday morning at an apartment along Lee Street in Charleston.

Police say the woman had taken some medicine before going to bed that put her into a deep sleep.

According to the criminal complaint, White admitted to two friends as well as the police that he raped his roommate.

He is now facing one county of second degree sexual assault

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Man Arrested, Charged with Attempted Murder


HUNTINGTON, W.Va- The man accused of shooting at police officers early Saturday morning has been arrested.

West Virginia State Police say Adam Perry has been charged with 20 counts of wanton endangerment and 4 felony counts of attempting to murder a police officer.



Perry is in the Western Regional Jail.

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Salem Man Pleads Guilty on Child Porn Charges



A Salem man pleads guilty after being caught with thousands of pictures of child pornography.

Tony Marino, 32, was arrested back in March after Salem police found the pictures on his hard-drive, and more than 100 printed pictures in his home.

On Wednesday, he pleaded guilty to ten counts of possession of material of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

He's now facing up to 20 years in jail and up to $20,000 in fines.

Marino is being held in the north central regional jail. Judge Jim Matish set sentencing for February 5.

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Major drug find in Ohio County home

WHEELING -- The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force found 43 marijuana plants and growing materials at a home on Castleman's Run Road.
Agents executed a search warrant on Wednesday at the home after they received a tip.

Christopher Covey and Lela Covey were arrested at the home and charged with possession with intent to deliver marijuana and cultivation of marijuana.

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Kent enters guily plea to federal drug charges


FAIRMONT — A Fairmont man could be headed to prison for the next 40 years after pleading guilty last week to federal drug charges.

This past July, 29-year-old Roshad Kent was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Clarksburg for allegedly distributing cocaine hydrochloride, or “coke,” within 1,000 feet of a “protected location.”

According to the indictment, Kent allegedly distributed the drugs within 1,000 feet of the playground at Unity Terrace Apartment complex on two separate occasions last February.

Late last week, according to a press release from acting U.S. attorney Betsy C. Jividen, Kent pleaded guilty to the charges in U.S. District Court in Clarksburg before Mag. Judge John S. Kaull.

He now faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison and a fine of $2 million. He is currently free on bond.

The Three Rivers Drug Task Force, made up of officers from the Fairmont Police Department and the Marion County Sheriff’s Department, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. attorney Zelda E. Wesley prosecuted the case.

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Murder suspect in court


WHEELING - Less than 24 hours after turning himself into authorities, Jarell L. Hurt appeared before Ohio County Magistrate Joe Roxby this morning on a murder charge in connection with the Sept. 13 death of 19-year-old Ashley Blankenship.

Hurt, 21, of 129 15th St., Wheeling, appeared before Roxby via a video teleconference arraignment from the Northern Regional Jail at Moundsville.

After Roxby informed Hurt of the first- degree murder charge against him, and that conviction of the charge could result in life in prison, Hurt requested a court appointed attorney.

Roxby said Hurt now has an option to ask for a preliminary hearing in magistrate court or wait for the case to be presented to an Ohio County grand jury. Hurt will remain in jail pending a circuit court bond hearing.

Today's arraignment came after Hurt turned himself in to Wheeling police at 7:15 p.m. Monday, hours after police issued a release stating a warrant had been issued for his arrest.

A criminal complaint against Hurt - filed on the date Blankenship's body was found inside a 39 Eagle Ave. apartment - reveals that Hurt resided at that address.

The complaint notes that responding officers found the body lying beside a couch in the living room with a gunshot wound to the head.

According to the complaint, Blankenship was identified through a cellular telephone found at the scene and by the word "Ash" tattooed on her body.

It notes that officers located paperwork, a birth certificate and other assorted mail containing Hurt's name inside the apartment.

The complaint indicates a witness told police she and Blankenship were together at a 15th Street residence prior to the murder. The witness said Blankenship had been speaking to and texting another individual throughout the night and Blankenship later left the home in the individual's car.

At a later date, the complaint notes, the individual said that he and Hurt had taken Blankenship to the Eagle Avenue apartment. He said Blankenship was sitting on the arm of a couch when Hurt shot her in the head. "(The individual) said he ran outside and entered his vehicle," the complaint notes.

"Hurt followed and was carrying a brown paper with his bloody clothes in it. (The individual) said he drove to a Wheeling Island address and, upon arrival, Hurt exited the car with the paper bag and ran northwest."

The individual told officers that Hurt returned without the bag or gun and began cleaning himself off with bleach in a shower at the residence.

A resident of the Wheeling Island address told police she received a telephone call informing her about the murder and she then told the individual and Hurt to leave her home, the report notes.

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Marion County Murder Suspect Pleads Not Guilty


FAIRMONT -- A Marion County man has pleaded not guilty to first degree murder.
Samuel Rollins, 18, was arraigned Thursday in front of Judge David Janes.

The police arrested Rollins in late June, for allegedly shooting Christopher Martin to death.

Janes continued Rollins' trial until the February 2010 term of court.

Janes also denied a second motion from Rollins' attorney for a bond reduction and home confinement.

Rollins remains in the North Central Regional Jail.

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Chad White of Marshall County Facing Slew of Charges


MOUNDSVILLE -- A Marshall County man is behind bars after the Sheriff's Department said he was involved in a standoff with them and West Virginia State Police Wednesday night.
Chad White, 36, is being held in the Northern Regional Jail on multiple charges after the incident.

Marshall County Sheriff John Gruzinskas said deputies were called to a house on a report of a domestic violence protection order being violated, and when they arrived, White held them in a standoff from the front porch.

"The suspect was being arrested for several things. When we encountered him, we had multiple agencies at the scene. It was a very violent confrontation and he was taken into custody," Gruzinskas said.

White remains behind bars in the Northern Regional Jail.

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Huntington woman charged with taking swine flu vaccine

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Authorities say a Huntington woman has been charged with stealing a vial of swine flu vaccine.

Chief Deputy Doug Ferguson of the Cabell County Sheriff's Department says he found the vaccine in Elizabeth Wilson's purse at a vaccination clinic. Ferguson says he looked in Wilson's purse because a clinic worker told him Wilson tried to steal syringes.

Ferguson says Wilson came to the clinic at a Cabell County church so her children could be vaccinated Thursday.

Wilson, 25, was charged with petit larceny

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Robberies an inside job, police say


Dustin Jamal Shaver

Joshua Keith Clark
HUNTINGTON -- Police say a Marquee Cinemas employee played a role in at least two of three armed robberies that targeted the movie theater at Pullman Square, according to police statements and a search warrant filed Wednesday in Cabell County.

Two 19-year-old Huntington men were arrested Wednesday afternoon in connection with the robberies at the cinemas Monday and July 13.

Dustin Jamal Shaver, a 19-year-old not believed to be working at the cinemas, was charged with felony first-degree robbery. An arrest warrant states he fled with several thousand dollars and forced one employee to bind other colleagues with plastic zip ties. The Huntington Police Department executed a search at Shaver's apartment Wednesday afternoon.

Huntington Police Sgt. John Williams said Shaver was arrested without incident near his Marcum Terrace residence in eastern Huntington.

Joshawa Clark, a cinema employee and the supposed robbery victim, was detained for questioning and later charged with two counts of felony accessory to first-degree robbery. Clark also is a resident of Marcum Terrace.

Police say video surveillance at Marcum Terrace captured the two suspects exiting a vehicle together and walking toward Shaver's apartment following the Monday night robbery.

Williams said an additional charge was pending against Shaver.

The three robberies occurred near closing time between Nov. 29, 2008, and Monday. Clark was employed at Marquee Cinemas during the entire 11-month time period. Williams and a police report both state Clark was working Monday night, and Williams believes evidence shows the same person to have been working during the cinema's second robbery, July 13, 2009. He was unsure if Clark worked during the Nov. 29, 2008, robbery.

The search warrant credits another colleague with identifying Shaver. It states an employee picked Shaver's photograph from a photo array. Police had asked the employee to identify the customer who purchased a ticket to a movie that preceded Monday's robbery. That employee's identification matched as being the same person who committed the robbery, the warrant states.

Huntington Police Lt. John Ellis said Wednesday morning that detectives believed their assailant watched the 9:20 p.m. showing of "Where the Wild Things Are." Following the 94-minute movie, detectives believe fellow moviegoers exited the theater as the robber stayed behind. He waited for an usher to enter theater for routine cleaning. The warrant then states Shaver brandished a handgun and ordered the employee to the cash office and demanded its door be opened.

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Lewis County Murder Suspect's Trial Postponed


A Lewis County man facing a first degree murder charge for killing his girlfriend has his trial postponed.

Arnold Wayne McCartney, 33, allegedly shot and killed Vickie Lynn Page at their Crawford home last December.

He was supposed to stand trial on Monday, but on Thursday, his attorneys expressed concerns to Judge Thomas Keadle that the state hadn't given them all the evidence in the case.

McCartney's case will be heard by a jury on February 16, 2010.

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State Police Nab Two Fugitives for Writing Bad Checks



State police in Weston arrest a couple for allegedly writing bogus checks at the Jane Lew Fireman's Festival.

Shirley Larue, 45, and Mark Larue, 46, are charged with fraudulent schemes and conspiracy. They allegedly wrote nearly a dozen bad checks at the festival a few weeks ago.

Troopers found the couple in Clarksburg and also learned they were wanted in Oklahoma and Florida on similar charges.

They're being held at the North Central Regional Jail.

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Fayette County Man Sentenced for Selling Drugs

CHARLESTON -- A Fayette County man was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison and three years of supervised released after pleading guilty to distributing Oxycodone.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said Herman Armstrong, 53, of Scarbro sold 65 Oxycontin tablets to a confidential informant working for the Drug Enforcement Network Team. That deal took place in June 2008.

Investigators said Armstrong worked as a middle man facilitating deals between his drug suppliers and drug users in the Paint Creek area of Kanawha county.

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Police nab man for 'sexting'

WAR — A man who attempted to solicit sex from a minor through multiple cell phone text messages is now facing several charges in McDowell County.

Jimmy Lester, 26, of Caretta, is charged with attempted sexual assault third degree, sexual abuse in the third degree and endangering public safety, which is a computer crime-related charge, sheriff’s department Chief Deputy Mark Shelton said.

Shelton said a week-long investigation began on Monday after a male subject driving in a vehicle threw a piece of paper out of the vehicle at a 14-year old male juvenile who was walking on the road. Shelton said the paper asked for “sexual favors” from the juvenile, and included the man’s cell number.

“I took [the cell number] and texted the individual, and acted like I was a 14-year-old male,” Shelton said. “Over the course of the week, he made arrangements that he wanted to meet in an area at which time we did surveillance, and when he showed up we arrested him.”

Shelton said he communicated with the man via text messaging approximately 120 times throughout the course of the week.

Shelton said Lester was arraigned late Thursday in front of Magistrate Martin West who set bond in the case at $50,000. Shelton said Lester was still being held Friday in lieu of the $50,000 bond.

The McDowell County Sheriff’s Department was assisted by the War Police Department in the investigation.

Shelton said the incident was one of the first texting cases to be worked by the sheriff’s office.

Shelton said parents should always check their children’s text messages from time to time to monitor who they are talking with.

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Friday, October 23, 2009

Man sentenced on Monongalia murder charge


MORGANTOWN -- A man involved in the shooting at the District Apartments in October 2007 was sentenced Thursday in Monongalia County Circuit Court.
Judge Russell Clawges sentenced Jamar Fortt to one to thirty years in prison.

Fortt pleaded guilty to second degree murder and burglary last November.

He will serve the murder sentence at the same time he is serving one to fifteen years on the burglary charge.

Fortt and three others were involved in a confrontation with another group of men that spilled over from a bar fight, according to police.

Fortt's group went to the District apartments to confront the second group of men, and, when they didn't find them at home, stole an X-Box, police say.

When leaving the apartment, the groups encountered each other, and Luis Paige was shot and stabbed to death.

Fortt is being held in the North Central Regional Jail until he is transferred to a state prison

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Not guilty plea entered in animal cruelty case


Farmington-Bagwell allegedly broke into a home in the area and raped an Australian shepherd/border collie mix dog. The owner was away at work, according to a witness' report.

The witness, Sierra Hayhurst, arrived at the house on the afternoon of July 8th to return items she had borrowed from the owner. She claims that while standing in the doorway, she spotted the suspect having sexual intercourse with the male dog, which "was making an awful sound."

She then shouted at Bagwell, calling him a "sick bastard" until he pulled up his pants and dismounted the dog. He then started toward her in a threatening manner, according to police reports.

"His pants were down around his ankles and the dog was making an awful sound," stated the witness in the arrest complaint.

At this point, Hayhurst called Farmington Police, who soon arrived and promptly arrested Bagwell on felony burglarly and animal cruelty charges. Police allege Bagwell also damaged property in the home while looting it for an undisclosed reason.

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Murder motive is still a mystery


WHEELING - Wheeling police on Monday arrested Jarell L. Hurt for the murder of Ashley Blankenship. Now, they are trying to figure out why she was killed.

Ohio County Magistrate Joe Roxby on Tuesday arraigned Hurt, 21, on a charge of murder via teleconference from the Northern Regional Jail. He is accused of killing the 19-year-old Blankenship on Sept. 13 with a single gunshot to the back of the head in the North Park apartment in which he was staying.

A warrant was secured Monday for Hurt's arrest. The murder suspect turned himself into authorities later that night. He is being held in the Northern Regional Jail.

On Tuesday, Wheeling's acting police chief, Lt. Mike VanKirk, said investigators are confident the man who killed Blankenship is Hurt, but they still are working to determine a motive.

"We are sure (Hurt is the murderer) or we wouldn't have gotten the arrest warrant," VanKirk said. "At this point, we still don't know a motive, unfortunately. You would like to know why someone lost their life, but there is no good reason."

Ohio County Prosecutor Scott Smith on Tuesday declined to comment on a potential motive in the case. He noted, however, that the case still is being investigated.

VanKirk said the investigation still may reveal the reason for Blankenship's slaying. He said there still is much to learn regarding the relationship, if any, between Hurt and the woman he is accused of killing.

"There are a lot of questions to be answered, and I believe they will be answered before this case is closed," VanKirk said. "I don't know the intimate details or if they knew each other before. ... We are not giving up hope on learning the reason why."

Smith and VanKirk said Tuesday they were not aware of the extent of Hurt's criminal background. VanKirk said he believes Monday's arrest was the first felony charge the murder suspect has faced.

Hurt requested a court-appointed attorney during his arraignment. He now may choose to have a preliminary hearing in Ohio County Magistrate Court or he can wait for the case to be presented to an Ohio County grand jury. Hurt will remain in jail pending a circuit court bond hearing.

According to the criminal complaint in the case, Blankenship's body was found inside an apartment at 39 Eagle Ave. Responding officers found the body lying beside a couch in the living room with a gunshot wound to the head. Blankenship was identified through a cellular telephone found at the scene and by the word "Ash" tattooed on her body.

A witness reportedly told police she and Blankenship were together at a 15th Street residence prior to the murder. The witness said Blankenship had been speaking to and texting another individual throughout the night and Blankenship later left the home in that individual's car.

At a later date, the complaint notes, the individual said he and Hurt took Blankenship to the Eagle Avenue apartment. He said Blankenship was sitting on the arm of a couch when Hurt shot her in the head.

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Former teacher indicted on sex charges


MARTINSBURG - A former eighth-grade Musselman Middle School teacher charged earlier this year for allegedly engaging in sexual misconduct with a 14-year-old student was indicted Wednesday by a Berkeley County grand jury.

Stephanie Jo Walters, 28, of Grindstone Drive, Hedgesville, was officially indicted on one count of sexual abuse by a person in a position of trust, third-degree sexual abuse and solicitation of a minor through use of a computer.

Walters was placed on administrative leave in April and later terminated as a result of the case. She had been employed as a teacher at the school for five years until her termination.

The case was investigated by Sgt. B.F. Hall of the Berkeley County Sheriff's Department's criminal investigations division.

According to court records, the investigation came about after an uninvolved student learned that the 14-year-old male student and Walters were sending one another text messages, leading school officials to believe there was an inappropriate relationship.

Walters allegedly began confiding in a female student about two weeks before she was charged, telling the student that she and the male student made out and she had let him touch her breasts and kiss her.

Records show the male student obtained Walters' phone number at a basketball game in December 2008. The student allegedly said in February that he began receiving texts that were sexual in nature from Walters. The juvenile said Walters sent text messages to him telling him about things she wanted to do to him sexually. The victim also received messages from Walters on his MySpace Internet page, records show.

On April 3, Walters allegedly approached the student and led him to a janitor's closet in the school. The victim stated that they kissed and she allowed him to touch her breasts. According to the complaint, the student did not put his hands under her shirt, and he said Walters touched his chest and arms while they kissed.

Walters remains free on bail while awaiting future court proceedings.

Indictments are merely formal statements of charges and are not evidence of guilt. Those indicted should be considered innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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Woman arrested in shooting


MARTINSBURG - An Inwood man whose wife allegedly shot him after holding him at gunpoint for more than two hours Wednesday night told police Thursday that she just "snapped" after he said he planned to remove her as a beneficiary from his insurance policy.

Stephen Kent Slone, 45, of Winchester Avenue, initially was taken to City Hospital in Martinsburg after the shooting and was later transported to Inova Fairfax Hospital in Virginia for treatment.

His wife, 41-year-old Flor Demaria Slone, of Kearneysville, was taken into custody at her home in Jefferson County shortly after the shooting Wednesday night. She was arraigned Thursday on charges of kidnapping and malicious assault, and was being held without bail at the Eastern Regional Jail.

According to court records, at about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sr. Trooper J.D. Schuessler of the West Virginia State Police responded to 5391 Winchester Ave., where the victim ran to for help after the shooting. Schuessler was told by emergency dispatchers that the victim had been shot by his wife, Flor Slone, who fled the area in a yellow Jeep Tracker.

Trooper First Class J.D. Burkhart and Senior Trooper W.M. Roden also responded to the scene, while other officers in Berkeley and Jefferson counties attempted to find the suspect's vehicle.

When Schuessler arrived at the scene, she saw the victim lying on the front door step of 5391 Winchester Ave. covered in his own blood as a result of what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the right pectoral region, records show.

The victim told police that his wife shot him twice and that she lived at 87 Russell Way in Jefferson County, records show.

Emergency medical services personnel subsequently arrived at the scene and tended to the victim before taking him to City Hospital.

Schuessler obtained a statement from a neighbor, who said that earlier in the day the victim had asked her to watch over his house.

"She further advised that Mr. Slone said he had taken his wife off the beneficiary of his insurance policy and she was unhappy with this decision," Schuessler wrote in the criminal complaint.

The neighbor told police that between 5:45 and 6 p.m., she noticed the yellow Jeep Tracker in the driveway and said it was there until at least 7:30 p.m., when she went to bed.

The next thing she knew, her doorbell was ringing and her husband began yelling at her to help.

The neighbor and her husband tended to the victim's injuries until EMS personnel arrived, records show.

She told police that while she was tending to the victim, he stated that his wife had held him at gunpoint for about three hours.

After the victim was taken to the hospital, Schuessler went to his home at the 5400 block of Winchester Avenue. When she arrived at the home, she observed bloody footprints throughout the area and large pools of blood in the kitchen, records show.

On the living room floor was a pillow that appeared to have either a bullet hole through it or a burn marking. Police also found a small .22-caliber pistol, with an empty shell casing, and they found another round in the chamber, records show.

Next to the pistol, police found a grocery bag with a hole in the bottom and black residue around where the hole had been made. Inside the plastic bag was a spent .22-caliber shell casing. Roden and Burkhart also located a bullet lodged in the wall behind the recliner, records show.

Meanwhile, after the victim's wife was located in Jefferson County, she volunteered to speak with law enforcement. She was taken to the State Police detachment in Jefferson County where she spoke with Sgt. Kevin Pansch. During questioning, she continually denied shooting her husband, records show.

At about 1:19 a.m. Thursday, the victim contacted Schuessler from Inova Fairfax Hospital and was able to provide the officer with a verbal statement. He said that he and his wife had a conversation Wednesday morning about him taking her off his insurance policy, records show.

He said she arrived at his home at about 6 p.m that night.

"When he answered the door, she was holding a firearm to his head. He said once inside the residence they sat in the living room talking and then at one point she just snapped," Schuessler wrote the criminal complaint.

The victim said she picked up the gun and stood in front of him before picking up the small square pillow and firing one shot through it, records show.

The first bullet went through the pillow and struck him in the right side, but didn't penetrate his body, records show. He said his wife then dropped the pillow and fired another round, which entered his right side and exited out through his back.

She dropped the gun and ran out the door, he told police. Afterward, he said he got up and went to the kitchen to dial 911, but couldn't because of his injuries. He then ran outside to his neighbor's home for help.

If convicted of kidnapping, Flor Slone faces a maximum of up to life in prison. She also faces two to 10 years in prison if convicted of malicious assault.

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Raleigh man jailed in stabbing incident


BECKLEY, W.Va. -- A Raleigh County man was in jail Friday in connection with a stabbing in Bradley.

James Pruett, 33, of Bradley was arrested by Raleigh County sheriff's deputies after a fatal stabbing at the Bay Manor Apartments in Beckley, according to a press release issued by the Raleigh County Sheriff's Department.


Authorities believe Pruett got into a domestic dispute at the apartment complex about 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Deputies are not releasing the name of the victim pending notification of relatives.


Pruett was charged with voluntary manslaughter in connection with the stabbing. He was being held in the Southern Regional Jail on Friday morning awaiting arraignment.

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Jackson fugitive found in Tennessee


RIPLEY - A fugitive from justice in Jackson County was apprehended in Tennessee and returned.

Telly Sylvester Larry, 29, in custody at the South Central Regional Jail, South Charleston, had been wanted since he was indicted by a Jackson County grand jury in November 2008 and failed to appear for his arraignment.

Larry was indicted on three counts of first-degree sexual assault, one count of first-degree sexual abuse and four courts of sexual abuse by a person in a position of trust.

According to court records, the crimes allegedly took place between June and December 2007 and the victim was a 7-year-old girl. Jackson County sheriff's Sgt. Jim Bare was the investigating officer.

Larry was placed on the National Crime Information Center database and was being sought with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Larry was recently arrested in Nashville, Tenn., on an unrelated charge and a routine check of the NCIC alerted officers to the charges in Jackson County. He was extradited from Tennessee and returned to West Virginia Oct. 15 by a transport company and was lodged in the South Central Regional Jail to await arraignment.

A charge of failure to appear will be added to the charges against Larry, said Jackson County Chief Deputy B.W. Dewees.

An arraignment is set for 9 a.m. Oct. 28 in circuit court before Judge Thomas C. Evans.

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Megan Williams Defendant Says Williams Was Tortured


Frankie Brewster is doing 10-to-25 years in prison for her guilty plea to sexual assault in the Megan Williams case. Williams, a black woman, reported she was kidnapped, tortured and raped by 7 white men and women in Logan County in 2007. Brewster and the other defendants plead guilty.

On Wednesday, an attorney for Williams held a news conference to say Williams was recanting the whole story, but even Brewster who could benefit from that claim doesn`t believe her now. While Brewster says she might take her chances at trial if she had it to do over again, she says that Megan Williams is not telling the truth now-- that the crimes did happen. Brewster says: " It did happen." "All of us participated." "There was a crime committed or a multitude of crimes committed."

Brewster claims it wasn`t race or Williams` boyfriend-girlfriend relationship breakup with her son, Bobby Brewster, another defendant, the started the trouble. She says Karen Burton told others Williams took some money and a food stamp card. Brewster says she was not the ringleader. "I wasn`t, Karen initiated everything." She was cautious about her own part saying: "I don`t want to say no and I don`t want to say yes." But she admitted improper contact with the victim.

Brian Abraham, former Logan County prosecutor says: " These people are entitled to a fair review of their case, but I have no doubt it will remain as it is." Brewster says not all the crime happened at her trailer. She says " I just want the truth out and for people take responsibility for what they did." Bob Aaron, Eyewitness News, Mason County.

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Ex-Montgomery officer gets two years in prison

Calling him "a disgrace to the profession," Chief U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin sentenced Matthew A. Leavitt, a former Montgomery police officer who admitted he violated a interracial couple's civil rights, to two years in prison Thursday.


In July, Leavitt, 31, pleaded guilty to two federal misdemeanors, acknowledging that he wrongly arrested Lauren Reynolds for DUI and that he beat her husband, Twan Reynolds, with a slapjack.


The Reynolds' daughter, Kaleigha, then 4 years old, was strapped into her car seat a few feet away.


Goodwin said Leavitt's offense was "truly disgusting" and "a shock to my conscience."


Moreover, it was part of a pattern of harassment, in which Leavitt and fellow officer Shawn Hutchinson frequently stopped black men and took their pictures, the judge said. They then compiled a database on a computer at the police station, he said.


On the night of Sept. 26, 2008, Leavitt and Hutchinson pulled in front of the Reynolds' car as it was leaving the parking lot of the 7-Eleven in Montgomery, where they had just put air in one of their tires.



Even through she had not been drinking, and over her protestations of innocence and requests for a Breathalyzer test, Leavitt arrested Lauren Reynolds for DUI. When Twan Reynolds objected, Leavitt pulled him out of the car and, amid a shower of profanities, hit him in the head with the slapjack, which has been banned from police use, the judge said.


"At no point had Mr. Reynolds resisted," he said.


Montgomery Police Lt. J.D. Burrow then arrived, and told his two subordinates to stand down while he handled the situation, Goodwin said. Leavitt threatened to arrest his superior officer, who retreated, fearing for his own safety.


The verbal and physical abuse continued after Twan and Lauren Reynolds were taken to the police station, he said.


Leavitt grabbed Lauren Reynolds by the neck and shoved her against the wall, then licked her neck, the judge said. Leavitt also put on a plastic glove, squirted pepper spray onto his finger, and rubbed the irritant in Twan Reynolds' face and eyes, he said.


For two weeks following the assault, Twan Reynolds had blood in his urine, and he has permanent damage to his right eye, Goodwin said. His wife and daughter have both been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, he said.


After the incident, the couple slept in shifts and kept a shotgun in their home because there were rumors that Leavitt was going to kill them, the judge said.


Goodwin said he respected and admired almost all of the police officers he knows, because they do a dangerous, difficult and stressful job.


"Actions such as this diminish trust and respect for the police," he said.


During the hearing on Thursday, Lauren Reynolds told Goodwin that what started as a pleasant family outing to a football game ended as a nightmare.

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Torture Victim Recants Story, but Cops Believe It's Still True

Prosecutors are used to doubting convicted felons who recant their confessions, but it's rare for them to ignore the victim of a crime who says she made up the entire story that sent six people to prison.



Brian Abraham, the former Logan County prosecutor who oversaw those cases, dismissed the news conference as a publicity stunt.



Authorities say, despite Megan Williams' new denial, there is overwhelming evidence that she was indeed held captive in the rural West Virginia shed where she originally said she was raped and tortured over the course of several days.

Williams' story made national headlines in 2007, when investigators said the young woman had been beaten, stabbed in the legs, raped and forced to drink urine and eat animal feces. Williams is black; all of her alleged attackers were white.

Seven people, including Williams' then-boyfriend, Bobby Brewster, all confessed to their crimes and pleaded guilty. All but one was sentenced to jail.

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