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Archive for the ‘WEST VIRGINIA’ Category
Former Charleston West Virginia “Officer Of The Year” Police Officer Cpl. Keith Peoples Appears In Court To Face Felony Double-Dipping Charges
June 10th, 2008
CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA - A Charleston police officer who was once “Officer of the Year,” was in court Tuesday morning to face felony charges in the city’s double-dipping scandal.
Corporal Keith Peoples, 44, is charged with two felony counts of obtaining money by a fraudulent scheme and computer fraud. He’s accused of being on the clock for the Charleston Town Center Mall while working for the city police department.
Peoples has been on paid administrative leave since his indictment on the charges. The judge ordered the case be presented in the next term of court in October. Appeared Here
Hero To Zero: Charleston West Virginia Police Officer Of The Year Keith O. Peoples Indicted For Theft And Computer Fraud
May 18th, 2008
CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA - A Kanawha County grand jury indicted a Charleston police officer Friday on felony charges of obtaining money by a fraudulent scheme and computer fraud.
Cpl. Keith O. Peoples, 44, of Charleston, is on paid administrative leave as a result of his indictment, Police Chief Brent Webster confirmed.
Webster would not comment on whether Peoples’ indictment was related to “double dipping,” or being on the clock for an outside employer while working for the department.
However, the charges against Peoples are the same as those made against former detective James L. “Chip” Nowling in 2004. Last year, a jury found Nowling guilty of both charges in relation to “double dipping,” and he was sentenced to three years probation and 300 hours of community service.
Since then, three other former members of the department have been convicted of misdemeanor obtaining by fraudulent schemes for “double dipping.”
Nutcase 78 Year Old Cabell County West Virginia Magistrate Alve Qualls Tells Woman He’d Need A Gallon Of Viagra To Keep Up With Her, That When He Was A Cop, Woman Could Pay Tickets With Blowjobs - Now Fighting Suspension
May 7th, 2008
CABELL COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA - A longtime Cabell County magistrate accused of sexually harassing women at the courthouse is fighting his suspension by the state Supreme Court.
In March, the high court suspended Magistrate Alvie Qualls with pay after a nine-member panel appointed by the Judicial Investigation Commission recommended his removal from the bench.
The panel found Qualls had made lewd remarks and inappropriate sexually demeaning comments and questioned his fitness to serve.
Qualls, who has denied the allegations of sexual harassment, immediately objected to the panel’s findings and requested a hearing in front of the state Supreme Court. A hearing has been scheduled for May 21.
According to a brief filed with the court on behalf of the panel, five women testified at a hearing in February that Qualls made inappropriate sexual comments to them at the courthouse.
Read MoreWheeling West Virginia Police Officer Daniel Griffin Accused Of Stealing Evidence, Trying To Pass Bogus $100 Bill
April 28th, 2008
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA — A former Wheeling police officer has been accused of stealing evidence and trying to pass a counterfeit bill while working with the department.
Daniel Griffin of Triadelphia is charged with petit larceny and obstructing officers.
According to the complaint, Griffin removed a counterfeit $100 bill from an evidence locker last June and attempted to pass the bill without success.
The complaint also alleges that Griffin destroyed the intake report and the chain of custody form.
In response to the complaint, Wheeling Police Chief Kevin Gessler said “although it is city policy not to comment on a personnel matter, I will say the individual no longer works for the Wheeling Police Department. With regard to the criminal complaint, the alleged criminal activity speaks for itself and any other questions should be directed to a special prosecutor.”
A special prosecutor has been appointed from the Marshall County Prosecutor’s Office.
Read MoreGreenbrier County West Virginia Deputy Sheriff Kevin Sawyers Beats Prosecutor - Charges Disappear
April 27th, 2008
LEWISBURG, WEST VIRGINIA — A special judge Friday dismissed the criminal case against Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Sawyers, who was indicted last month for allegedly beating county Prosecutor Kevin Hanson.
Last week, special prosecutor Dan Dotson filed a motion to dismiss the battery charge because the Hanson no longer wished to pursue the case. On Friday, Senior Status Judge Charles M. Vickers granted Dotson’s motion.
“Upon mature consideration, the court grants said motion and it is therefore ordered that this matter shall be dismissed and the same shall be stricken from the court’s docket,” Vickers’ order stated.
When reached by phone late Friday, Sawyers told The Register-Herald he was glad the case was dismissed.
“I’m thankful that this is over and I want to thank the community for their overwhelming support during this trying time,” Sawyers, speaking publicly for the first time since his arrest, said. “I’m glad that I will soon be getting back to work.”
Read MoreCharlestown West Virginia Police Officer Raymond Coleman Drove Uninsured For 2 Years Prior To Killing Woman With His Car
April 16th, 2008
SOUTH CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA - Paperwork obtained by WSAZ shows a Charleston Police Officer had been driving uninsured for nearly two years before the accident happened.
The accident happened in October of 2007. Beth McDonald was crossing Macorkle Avenue when she was hit and killed by off-duty Charleston police officer Raymond Coleman.
The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department investigated the accident. Coleman was not found at fault for the accident. However on the police report, Progressive is listed as Coleman’s insurance provider.
Progressive just issued a letter saying, “We were unable to find a valid automobile policy with Progressive Companies for Raymond Coleman…” The letter goes onto say, “Our records indicate that policy number 10795745-3 canceled on January 8, 2006 for non-payment.” Which was nearly two years before Coleman’s accident.
Mike Rutherford, the Kanawha County Sheriff, says “I wasn’t there so I have no idea what was given to or what was told to the officers.”
Read MoreSenior Mason County West Virginia Deputy Sheriff Erick Lynch Remains Suspended After Domestic Violence Incident - Records Hidden From Taxpayers
April 13th, 2008
POINT PLEASANT. WV - A Mason County sheriff’s deputy has been placed on paid administrative leave after a domestic violence petition was filed against him. Senior Deputy Erick Lynch surrendered his firearm Monday after it was reported that a DVP had been filed against him in Mason County Magistrate Court.
According to Magistrate Clerk Brenda Shirley Baldwin, DVPs are confidential records that are sealed, and information cannot be released to the public.
Sheriff Scott Simms said the DVP was issued against Lynch Sunday evening.
“(Lynch) has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the family court judge hearing,” Simms said, adding that the hearing could take place as early as next week.
He added that Lynch was not on duty at the time the allegations took place.
The administrative leave has been in effect since Monday.
Read MoreVideo: Washington DC Transit Police Officer Michael Fultz Arrested In West Virginia For Drunk Driving At Four Times State Limit
April 9th, 2008
WASHINGTON, DC - A St. Clairsville trooper arrested a Washington, D.C., transit police officer in late March on suspicion of drunken driving, and on Monday troopers said recently released dash cam video shows what a struggle it was to get the out-of-state officer in custody.
Trooper Ross Thompson of the Ohio State Highway Patrol arrested 46-year-old Michael Fultz after a traffic stop on Interstate 70, but troopers said Fultz did not go into custody without a fight.
Troopers said Fultz, a D.C. transit police officer who was off duty, resisted Thompson.
Troopers said Fultz also tested four times the legal blood-alcohol limit and struggled with the field sobriety test.
Fultz suffered minor facial injuries as a result of the struggle during his arrest but the arresting trooper, Thompson, was not injured.
NEWS9 checked in with the D.C. transit police department, Fultz’s employer, to see if he was still employed.
Read MoreWashington DC Metro Transit Police Officer Michael K. Fultz Arrested, Charged With Drunk Driving
March 24th, 2008
WASHINGTON, DC — An off-duty Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Transit Police Officer was arrested around 3:30 p.m. Sunday by the Ohio Highway Patrol after officials received reports of an erratic driver on Interstate 70.
Michael K. Fultz, 46, of 3351 Esquarre Court, Woodbridge, Va., was booked into the Belmont County Jail on charges of OVI, driving in marked lanes and resisting arrest. Bond of $1,825 was posted and he was released.
According to information at the post, at 3:17 p.m. a call was received about a red Toyota Tacoma pickup truck traveling east on I-70. It was reportedly swerving all over the road and traveling at a high rate of speed.
A trooper observed the vehicle and attempted to stop it for a marked lane violation. However, the vehicle continued traveling east for approximately one-half mile before it stopped.
Read MoreWest Virginia State Police Trooper H.D. Stone Hits And Kills 12 Year Old Skateboarder With Patrol Car
March 24th, 2008
RALEIGH COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA - A 12-year-old Raleigh County boy was killed early Saturday morning when he was struck by a police cruiser while he was skateboarding, police said.
Curtis Dwayne Webb, of Dickenson Avenue in Beckley, was struck while riding his skateboard about 12:05 a.m., according to a press release from West Virginia State Police Sgt. D.L. Bowles.
The police cruiser was traveling southbound on W.Va. 16 in Crab Orchard and operated by Trooper H.D. Stone of the Beckley detachment, the release said.
Preliminary investigations suggest Webb was riding the skateboard in the road, the release said.
Police were not available to comment any further on the investigation.
Former West Virginia Corrections Officer Kevin R. Kessell Arrested, Charged After Sex With Female Inmate
March 24th, 2008
WEST VIRGINIA - State Police troopers arrested a former correctional officer accused of engaging in sexual contact with a female inmate while he was employed at South Central Regional Jail.
Kevin R. Kessell, 26, of Dunbar was arrested Friday after a weeklong investigation by State Police, according to a press release from West Virginia State Police Sgt. Kenneth McCord.
The investigation was conducted after a female inmate filed a complaint early last week alleging inappropriate sexual contact between her and Kessell, the release said.
The unidentified inmate said the incident happened earlier in 2008 while Kessell was on duty, the release said.
She claimed they became “sexually involved” in a jail cell, the release said.
Once police determined state law was violated and a warrant was issued, Kessell turned himself in, the release said.
Read MoreCrazed Charleston West Virginia Police Charge Man With Peanuts With Phoney Drug Charge - Our Tax Dollars At Work
March 23rd, 2008
CHARLESTON, WV - A Charleston man was arrested for allegedly possessing imitation crack cocaine made of peanuts, police said.
A Charleston patrolman was patrolling the 200 block of Daniel Boone Drive Tuesday night about 9 p.m. when an intoxicated male was spotted, according to a criminal complaint filed in Kanawha Magistrate Court.
The man was identified as James Lynn Lacy, 33, of Washington Street West.
Lacy had slurred speech and admitted he had been drinking beer and that he was “f—– up,” the complaint said.
He was placed under arrest and then searched.
Lacy was found to have in his possession two bags of imitation crack cocaine, the complaint said.
The suspected drug did not test positive for cocaine base and Lacy said the bags contained half grams of peanuts, the complaint said.
Read MoreFormer Charleston West Virginia Jail guard Kevin Kessell Arrested, Charged After Sex With Inmate
March 22nd, 2008
CHARLESTON, WV - A former guard at the South Central Regional Jail in Charleston was arrested Friday on charges he had sex with a female inmate while on duty.
Kevin, Kessell, 26 of Dunbar, turned himself in after a warrant was issued for his arrest, according to a news release from Sergeant K.G. McCord with the West Virginia State Police.
McCord says a female inmate filed a complaint alleging inappropriate sexual contact between her an Kessell in one of the cells at the facility earlier this year.
State Police became involved after supervisors at the jail determined that state law was violated, according to McCord.
McCord says Kessell worked at the jail for approximately two years as a correctional officer. He resigned three weeks ago to take another job.
Kessell was arraigned in Kanawha County Magistrate Court Friday and was released after posting 10% of a $10,000 bond.
Read MoreGreenbrier County West Virginia Deputy Sheriff Kevin Lee Sawyers Charged Charged After Beating County Prosecutor
March 19th, 2008
GREENBRIER COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA - A Greenbrier County sheriff’s deputy accused of beating the county prosecutor has been indicted on a misdemeanor battery charge. A special grand jury charged 37-year-old Deputy Kevin Lee Sawyers Tuesday.
Sawyers’ attorney, Tom Czarnik, says the indictment mirrors the original charge filed by State Police in August. State Police later upgraded the charge to malicious wounding and unlawful, both felonies.
Czarnik says he looks forward to a jury trial. Sawyers is accused of beating county Prosecutor Kevin Hanson during an altercation in August.
Police say Hanson suffered a broken nose, separated shoulder, bruises and other injuries.
Greenbrier County Chief Circuit Judge James J. Rowe says he will ask the state Supreme Court to appoint a special judge to hear the case. Sawyers remains on paid administrative leave and is free on $2,500 bond.
West Virginia State Medical Examiner’s Office Releases Unidentified Adult Body In Place Of Toddler Who Died In Fire - Family Buries Wrong Body
February 21st, 2008
CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA - Authorities mistakenly released the body of an adult woman to the family of a 2-year-old fire victim, and the woman’s body was buried in the girl’s grave, officials said.
A routine office check at the state Medical Examiner’s Office earlier this week showed that the body of Victoria Hope Starcher of Cottageville was still there. The child and her brother, 4-year-old Joseph Allen Starcher II, were both killed Feb. 8 when their two-story house caught fire.
Funeral services for the children were held Feb. 15 in Jackson County, said John Law, spokesman for the state Department of Health and Human Resources.
Law said the employee who mistakenly released the woman’s body probably failed to check a label on the body bag against information identifying the remains. The woman, who has not been identified, also was a fire victim who was killed in a different blaze.
Read MoreBerkeley County West Virginia Deputy Sheriff Xavier Elias Morales Quits After Bar Brawl, Pleads Guilty For A Slap On The Wrist
February 13th, 2008
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - A former Berkeley County sheriff’s deputy accused of biting a bar bouncer and breaking out a window in a police cruiser has pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor charges.
Xavier Elias Morales resigned from the sheriff’s department in November following his arrest. The 25-year-old Morales pleaded no contest Tuesday to public intoxication, destruction of property and battery.
In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped misdemeanor charges of obstructing a police officer, resisting arrest and assault of a police officer.
Berkeley County Magistrate Harry L. Snow fined Morales $200 and gave him a 30-day suspended sentence and six months of unsupervised probation. Snow also ordered Morales to pay $250 in restitution to the sheriff’s department.
The charges stemmed from a fight at Piggys Bar near Bunker Hill on Nov. 18. Deputy A.T. Burns used a Taser to subdue Morales, who allegedly bit a bouncer during the fight and broke out a window in a police cruiser following his arrest, according to court records.
Read MoreFormer Hancock County West Virginia Deputy Sheriff Mark Smith Receives A Slap On The Wrist - A Year In Jail And Registration As Sex Offender After Sexual Assaulting Female Motorist
February 7th, 2008
NEW CUMBERLAND, WEST VIRGINIA — Mark Smith, a former deputy with the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department, was sentenced to one year in jail Wednesday — the maximum amount possible under a plea agreement.
Smith’s attorney, Joe Ludovici, argued before Chief Judge Martin Gaughan of the First Judicial Circuit suggesting justice would be better served by placing his client on probation.
For the first time, Smith made a statement in open court, telling Gaughan, “Back in December of 2006 I made a very foolish mistake.”
Smith said it would be hard to explain the exact chain of events and “no one could understand” what led to the “foolish mistake” but maintained his position that he did not intimidate or coerce the accuser.
“I’m sorry I’ve done all of this,” Smith said.
Gaughan ended up siding with Worthy Paul, the Wetzel-based attorney serving as a special prosecutor in the case.
Read MoreSpecial Grand Jury To Hear Charges Against Crazed Greenbrier County West Virginia Deputy Sheriff Kevin Sawyers For Beating Beating County Prosecutor Kevin Hanson
February 5th, 2008
LEWISBURG, WEST VIRGINIA — A special grand jury will hear charges against a deputy accused of beating Greenbrier County’s prosecutor.
State Police charged Greenbrier County Deputy Kevin Sawyers with unlawful wounding in September. Sawyers is accused of beating county Prosecutor Kevin Hanson during an altercation in August.
Special prosecutor Dan Dotson says Hanson suffered a broken nose, separated shoulder, bruises and other injuries.
Sawyers’ attorney, Tom Czarnik, has said Sawyers was defending himself.
Dotson says he requested the special grand jury because Hanson presents evidence to the regular grand jury.
Greenbrier County Circuit Judge James J. Rowe approved Dotson’s request Friday. The special grand jury will convene March 18.
Pocahontas County Deputy Sheriff Robert Alkire II, Sheriff’s Son, Arrested, Charged With Wanton Endangerment After Shooting At Woman’s Home
February 1st, 2008
MARLINTON, WEST VIRGINIA - The son of Pocahontas County Sheriff Robert Alkire, a sheriff’s deputy himself, was arrested for a Nov. 30 incident where he allegedly fired his department-issue pistol unsafely.
Special Prosecutor Dan Dotson said Robert Alkire II was charged Friday with one count of wanton endangerment for the incident. Bail was set at $3,000.
Dotson, a Braxton County assistant prosecuting attorney, would not release any other information on the incident.
Pocahontas County Prosecutor Walt Weiford said he asked for a special prosecutor after learning that West Virginia State Police wanted to interview him about the incident.
Robert Alkire II, “handled his department issue pistol in an unsafe manner and fired [it] in such a manner that it created a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury to another,” according to the criminal complaint filed in Pocahontas County Magistrate Court.
Read MoreMoorefield West Virginia Assistant Police Chief Galen Ray Reel, Charged With Sexual Abuse Of Motorist, Released From Jail On Bond After Recanting Guilty Pleas
January 31st, 2008
MOOREFIELD, WEST VIRGINIA — The assistant chief of the Moorefield Police Department has a new attorney and is out on bond.
Galen Ray Reel, 37, of Moorefield was indicted by a Hardy County grand jury in June on five counts of sexual abuse in the first degree.
He is being accused of sexually abusing a woman after he pulled her over in a traffic stop.
Although he pleaded guilty to two lesser charges Jan. 9, he recanted that plea two days later and was incarcerated in the Potomac Highlands Regional Jail in Augusta in lieu of bond.
At that time, his attorney, Dan James of Keyser, filed a motion to withdraw as Reel’s representation, according to Randolph Prosecuting Attorney Frank Bush Jr., who is serving as the special prosecutor in the case.
This week, Reel’s new attorney, Kevin Mills of Martinsburg, asked for a continuance in the case, which Judge Donald H. Cookman granted.
Read MoreMoorefield West Virginia Police Officer Galen Reel Withdraws Guilty Plea In Slap On The Wrist Plea Deal, Charged With 5 Counts Of Sexual Assault
January 25th, 2008
MOOREVIELD, WEST VIRGINIA - A police officer from Moorefield, West Virginia faces five felony counts of sexual abuse.
Galen Reel was originally indicted in June 2007. The indictment says he forced a woman into sexual contact with him in December of 2006.
He pleaded not guilty earlier this month, and was to stand trial this week.
He withdrew that first plea to take a plea deal for lesser misdemeanor charges.
However, due to a miscommunication with his first lawyer, Reel went back to his not guilty plea for the felony charges Tuesday.
At this time, he is out of jail after posting a $50,000 bond. Trial is set to begin April 28.
Lawsuit Charges Former Monongalia County West Virginia Deputy Sheriff Robert Fields After Conviction For Molestation Of A Student At High School
January 19th, 2008
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — A former Monongalia County sheriff’s deputy, convicted of sexual assault, may be back in court again, this time facing a civil trial.
The victim in his criminal case has filed a suit against Robert Fields, the Monongalia County Commission, Board of Education and Sheriff Joseph Bartolo.
The lawsuit says they had “reasonable cause to suspect that she was being abused by Fields.”
Fields sexually abused a 16 year old student when he worked as a prevention resource officer at Morgantown High School in 2005.
The victim, who is now 19, is suing for reimbursement of medical bills, loss of enjoyment of life, humiliation, embarrassment and shame.
Fields is currently in the North Central Regional Jail, awaiting a sentence.
Last month he asked for a new trial, claiming that the prosecution failed to disclose some important information during his trial.
Read MoreDisgraced Former Charleston West Virginia Police Officer James A. Sands, One Of Four Officers Convicted In Payroll Scams, Wants Disability Pension Restored
January 17th, 2008
CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA - A former Charleston police officer has filed a lawsuit in Kanawha Circuit Court, seeking to have his disability pension restored.
James A. Sands filed the suit Jan. 2 to appeal a decision by the Board of Trustees of the Policemen’s Pension and Relief Fund. Sands was one of four officers convicted of double dipping.
Sands plead guilty to obtaining money by false pretenses and was given six months probation.
The officers were accused of working for other employers while on the clock for the city.
According to the suit, the board of trustees denied him pension benefits based on a medical disability, which is says was a result of working as a police officer.
The suit says Sands suffers from multiple condition as a result of working as a police office, which disabled him and kept him from working.
Read MoreMoorefield West Virginia Assistant Police Chief Galen Ray Reel Jailed After Pleading Guilty, Then Withdrawing Plea In Special Plea Deal That Will Give Him A Slap On The Wrist For Sexually Abusing Motorist
January 17th, 2008
MOOREFIELD, WEST VIRGINIA - The assistant chief of the Moorefield Police Department recanted his guilty plea to two misdemeanor battery charges Monday and was incarcerated in the Potomac Highlands Regional Jail in Augusta.
Galen Ray Reel, 37, had entered the plea to the two lesser charges on Jan. 9, according to Randolph County Prosecuting Attorney Frank Bush Jr., who is serving as special prosecutor in the case.
The two misdemeanors were bargained down from the original five counts of sexual abuse in the first degree that had been filed against the officer last year, and one of the stipulations of the plea bargain was that Reel register as a sex offender.
He is being accused of sexually abusing a woman after he pulled her over in a traffic stop.
Bush said, according to the victim, “he touched her and made her touch him” after he told her to get into his cruiser.
Read MoreFormer Hancock County West Virginia Deputy Sheriff Mark Smith Gets A Special Plea Deal, Pleads To Lesser Charge For Sexual Assaulting Woman
January 10th, 2008
NEW CUMBERLAND, WEST VIRGINIA — An ex-sheriff’s deputy accused of sexually assaulting a woman while on duty in December 2006 has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor.
Former Hancock County Deputy Mark Smith was indicted last April on felony charges but pleaded to sexual abuse in the second degree.
Smith, of Chester, faces up to one year in jail and must register as a sexual offender. Sentencing is set for Feb. 6.
Newly unsealed court records indicate Smith fondled the victim, a dancer at a strip club. Smith stopped her in Newell as she drove home to Pennsylvania, told the woman to get in his patrol car, then drove to a nearby cemetery where the abuse occurred.
Smith initially told investigators the contact was consensual, but the victim said he threatened her with a drunken driving charge.
Former Hancock County West Virginia Deputy Sheriff Mark Smith Pleads Guilty To Sexually Abusing Woman Motorist
January 7th, 2008
HANCOCK COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA - A former Hancock County deputy pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a woman while he was a public servant.
Mark Smith, 53, pleaded guilty Monday to one count of second-degree sexual abuse, a misdemeanor.
Police said the incident happened on Dec. 13, 2006, when Smith pulled a female driver over on state Route 2 near Newell, took her in his cruiser to a cemetery, and touched her sexually.
Smith, who served as a deputy for 18 years, was originally put on administrative leave then resigned from his position in April 2007.
Read MorePussy Dubar West Virginia Police Officer Charges Woman With Battery On An Officer For Wiping Her Nose On His Shirt
December 27th, 2007
DUNBAR, WEST VIRGINIA - A Dunbar woman was charged with battery on a police officer after she allegedly wiped her nose on his shirt, according to a criminal complaint filed in Kanawha County Magistrate Court.
Dunbar police were called Friday to a residence on Maple Street, the complaint said.
Cpl. S.E. Elliott discovered a man sitting near the front door of the home while a woman tried to slap him, according to the complaint.
Elliot said he saw the woman, identified as Georgia Ann Newman, 36, bite the man on his elbow.
The male pulled away and Newman spat in his face, according to the complaint.
She was handcuffed and escorted to a police cruiser, the complaint said.
While walking into the police station for booking, Newman leaned over and wiped her nose on the back of the officer’s shirt, according to the complaint.
Read MoreSettlement Reached In Federal Lawsuit Charging Kenova West Virginia Police Officers Ben Butler And Steve Perry With Attack On Pregnant Woman
December 27th, 2007
KENOVA, WEST VIRGINIA - The lawyer for a woman who alleges that excessive force during a 2004 arrest caused her to have a miscarriage says her lawsuit has been settled in her favor. The attorney, Charles Hatcher, would not disclose specifics of the agreement.
Hatcher’s client, Kenova resident Candy Marcum, sued both the city and officers Ben Butler and Steve Perry.
Her lawsuit alleged she was struck in the chest, grabbed from behind and forcibly held with her arms above her head during an arrest on assault and battery charges.
The case was initially filed in Wayne County Circuit Court, but later moved to U.S. District Court, where it was removed from the active docket yesterday.
Hatcher says Marcum eventually pleaded no contest to the assault charge and paid a fine. He says she was never convicted of the battery charge.
Read MoreWashington County West Virginia Deputy Sheriff Jeffrey Morris Suspended. He And His Wife Now Under Investigation After Leaving Child Home Alone With 5 Loaded Guns
December 27th, 2007
WASHINGTON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA - A Washington County Deputy Sheriff and his wife are being investigated on child endangerment charges.
Jeffrey Morris and his wife, Tawni Morris, are accused of leaving their eight-year old son home alone.
Mrs. Morris is under house arrest, and a probation officer found the boy while doing a compliance check.
Officers say there were five loaded guns in plain view in the Marietta home.
Mr. Morris is on administrative leave with pay, while the Sheriff’s Department conducts an internal affairs investigation.
Children’s Services is also investigating.
Convicted Of Molesting Student, Former Monongalia County West Virginia Deputy Sheriff Robert Fields Wants New Trial
December 26th, 2007
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — A former Monongalia County Sheriff’s Deputy, convicted of sexual assault by a custodian, wants a new trial.
Robert Fields sexually abused a sixteen year old student when he worked as a prevention resource officer at Morgantown High School in 2005.
During his sentencing hearing Monday, Fields claimed that the prosecution had failed to disclose several pieces of information during his trial.
The judge is deciding whether to grant a new trial.
Until then, Field’s sentencing is delayed
Mount Olive West Virginia Corrections Officer Clarissa D. Johnson Arrested, Charged With Allowing Escape
December 24th, 2007
OAK HILL, WEST VIRGINIA — A Mount Olive Correctional Complex officer has been arrested for allegedly allowing the escape of a work-crew inmate, with whom State Police say she had a relationship.
Clarissa D. Johnson, 35, of Summersville was arrested Friday morning on her way to work.
Johnson’s duties included driving work-crew inmates to the Division of Highways office in Oak Hill and supervising them.
Robert Brady, one of the inmates in the minimum-security program, escaped Nov. 29 and is still at large.
State Police Sgt. Bill Scott says Johnson knew about Brady’s plan to escape and did nothing to stop him. She’s also believed to have had contact with him after he left the Fayette County prison’s grounds, Scott said.
Brady was serving time for fraudulently accessing a computer, forgery or uttering and daytime burglary. His discharge date was not until 2019 but he was eligible to meet with the parole board next year.
Read MoreFormer West Virginia Corrections Officer Stanley Eugene Pierson Pleads Guilty To Murdering His Wife And Stepdaughter
December 9th, 2007
CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA - Former corrections officer Stanley Eugene Pierson, who admitted to bludgeoning his wife and stepdaughter to death last year, has been convicted of two counts of first-degree murder after pleading guilty.
Pierson, 36, entered a guilty plea Thursday with Judge Tod Kaufman, who will sentence him on Feb. 13. He faces a possible penalty of 15 years to life on each count.
Lisa Pierson, 39, and her daughter, Casey Jo Barker, 20, were found dead in their Campbell’s Creek home in October 2006 by relatives, their heads beaten.
Police picked up Pierson after they found him on a riverbank near the Yeager Bridge, calling for help, about 12 hours after the bodies were discovered. He was taken to Charleston General Hospital for treatment of injuries and later told police he beat the women with a mattock and stabbed them with a knife.
Read MoreThird Charleston West Virginia Police Officer, Veteran Eric Eagle, Pleads Guilty To Double-Dipping
December 6th, 2007
CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA - Eric Eagle, one of a group of Charleston Police officers accused of double-dipping, will serve two years probation for his misconduct.
Kanawha Circuit Judge Paul Zakaib said he didn’t feel a jail sentence or fine would serve the community, and gave Eagle two years’ probation. Eagle is the third person in the department to be sentenced.
Judge Zakaib also ordered Eagle to repay the city $1,169.09 — “money to which he was not entitled.”
Eagle apologized before being sentenced, saying he was “ashamed and embarrassed.” He had been a Charleston Police officer for 22 years before he was placed on administrative leave after he was charged.
According to the terms of his probation, Eagle will still be allowed to carry and use a firearm to carry out his duty as a law enforcement officer.
Read MoreDisgraced Charleston West Virginia Police Officer Eric L. Eagle Was Center Of 1998 Lawsuit After Efforts To Silence Woman Exposing Misuse Of Funds
December 5th, 2007
CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA - A Charleston woman feels a sense of justice in the guilty plea of a former Charleston Police officer caught in the double-dipping scandal.
In a 1998 lawsuit, she alleged the officer, who has since retired from CPD and is now the sole police officer in an eastern Kanawha County town, played a role in attempting to silence her from exposing the city’s alleged misuse of federal funds earmarked for domestic violence.
On Oct. 5, Eric L. Eagle appeared before Kanawha Circuit Judge Paul Zakaib Jr., and entered a plea of guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obtaining money by false pretenses. In its one count of information filed the same day, the Kanawha County Prosecutor’s Office alleged that Eagle, 50, while on-duty as a Charleston police officer, also worked security for the Charleston Town Center.
Read MoreSuspended Ohio County West Virginia Deputy Sheriff Brandon Groves Fired For Being A Dumbass
December 5th, 2007
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA — An Ohio County sheriff’s deputy off the job for nearly a year has been officially relieved of his duties.
The Ohio County Civil Service Commission has upheld Sheriff Tom Burgoyne’s removal of Deputy Brandon Groves from the Ohio County Sheriff’s Department. Groves was suspended without pay from the department in January. He did, however, retain his health benefits until the commission ruling last week, Burgoyne said.
According to information from the commission, Groves’ dismissal was the result of his mishandling of at least 19 traffic citations. Groves was accused of not turning in those citations, leaving Ohio County Magistrate Court with no record of the infractions. He also had been accused of mishandling traffic citations prior to the 19 that led to his eventual firing.
Read MoreTwo Lawsuits, Last Of A String Against Former Williamson West Virginia Police Officer Michael Barnes To Be Decided By Jury - Officer Previously Convicted Of Filing False Complaint
November 27th, 2007
WILLIAMSON, WEST VIRGINIA - A jury will decide the last two of a cluster of lawsuits filed against a former Williamson police officer over alleged misconduct, the state Supreme Court has ruled.
Grady Colin Kelley and his mother, Frieda Kelley, had filed separate lawsuits against officer Michael Barnes and the city of Williamson.
The lawsuits centered on Barnes’ motivations in citing Grady for a liquor violation and arresting Frieda for her alleged boisterousness at the police station on the same day in 2000.
Logan Circuit Judge Roger Perry - sitting in for Mingo Judge Michael Thornsbury because Frieda was his bailiff at the time - granted the city and Barnes summary judgment in the cases last year, finding that Barnes’ actions were lawful.
The lawsuits said Barnes’ actions were based on a grudge he held towards Grady.
Read MoreBerkeley County West Virginia Deputy Sheriff Xavier Elias Morales, Charged After Bar Fight, Quits
November 20th, 2007
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA — A Berkeley County sheriff’s deputy accused of fighting in a bar and assaulting a fellow officer has resigned.
Xavier Elias Morales of Inwood resigned Monday, a day after the alleged incident at Piggys Bar in Bunker Hill. The 25-year-old Morales is charged with battery, resisting arrest, destruction of property, public intoxication, assault on a police officer and two counts of obstructing an officer.
According to court records, Deputy A.T. Burns used a Taser to subdue Morales, who allegedly bit a bouncer during the bar fight and broke out a window in a police cruiser following his arrest.
Sheriff Randy Smith says Morales apologized for his alleged actions.
Morales remains free on $12,100 bond.
Neola West Virgina Correctional Officer David Wayne Masters Arrested, Suspended, Charged After Sex With Inmate
November 19th, 2007
NEOLA, WEST VIRGINIA — A correctional officer is accused of having more than 50 sexual encounters with a female inmate at the Anthony Correctional Center.
David Wayne Masters was arrested at work Tuesday and charged with one count of sexual intrusion with an inmate.
The alleged sex acts began in August 2006 and ended sometime that November or December.
According to the criminal complaint filed by State Police, the inmate provided investigators with a shirt that tested positive for Masters’ semen.
The inmate has been removed from Anthony Center and transferred to another facility.
Anthony Center Warden Teresa McCourt says the 36-year-old Masters has been suspended from work without pay pending the resolution of the criminal case.
Masters faces up to five years in prison if convicted.
Former Monongalia County West Virginia Deputy Sheriff Robert Fields Jailed After Conviction For Molesting A Student While A Prevention Resource Officer At School
November 16th, 2007
MORGANTOWN, WEST VIRGINIA — A former Monongalia County sheriff’s deputy, who was recently convicted of sexually abusing a student at Morgantown High School, will remain in jail until he is sentenced.
Robert Fields was back in court Thursday morning to ask for bond, but a judge denied that request.
A jury convicted Fields of sexual abuse by a custodian.
It did not find him guilty on four other charges.
Fields sexually abused a 16-year-old student when he worked as a prevention resource officer at the school in 2005.
After the verdict, Fields was taken straight to the North Central Regional Jail.
That is where he will remain until he is sentenced.
A sentencing date has not been set.
Former Grantsville West Virginia Police Chief Ronald A. Gordon Sr Pleads Guilty To Child Molestation
November 10th, 2007
GRANTSVILLE, WEST VIRGINIA — A former Grantsville police chief has pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree sexual abuse involving a child under the age of 11 and at least one woman.
Ronald A. Gordon Sr., 57, entered his plea Tuesday in Calhoun County Circuit Court.
Gordon was originally indicted on nine charges: four counts of first-degree sexual abuse, three counts of second-degree sexual assault, one count of second-degree sexual assault and one count of nighttime burglary. The last count alleged that Gordon broke into a victim’s home with the intent to commit second-degree sexual assault.
The alleged crimes occurred between 1981 and 2005.
Gordon was Grantsville’s police chief from 2003 to March 2006. He also served as a home confinement officer and circuit court bailiff.
Gordon’s attorney, Ernest Skaggs, declined to comment.
$40 Million Federal Lawsuit Charges West Virgina State Police And Ranson Police With Assault, Battery, And Setting Man On Fire
November 4th, 2007
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA — A Ranson, W.Va., man who was hospitalized from burns he received when police used a combination of pepper spray and a Taser to arrest him last year is seeking $40 million in damages in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court.
The complaint, filed Oct. 23 on behalf of Steven C. Scott by attorney Sherman Lambert, names West Virginia State Police and agency leader Col. David L. Lemmon; Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department and Sheriff Randy Smith; Ranson Police Department and Chief William Roper; City of Ranson; Berkeley County Commission; and 10 “Does,” who Lambert indicated he would name later when their identities are known, as defendants.
Scott was treated at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center for the burns, which the attorney described as severe in his eight-page complaint. The complaint claims that excessive force, assault, battery and negligence were used in the arrest, and seeks exemplary damages to “defer future misconduct.”
Read MoreCharleston West Virginia Police Officer James Sands To Quit After Pleading Guilty To Double Dipping For A Slap On The Wrist
November 3rd, 2007
CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA - The last of the Charleston Police Officers charged with double dipping pleaded guilty on Friday.
James Sands,