Partly cloudy skies. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable..
Partly cloudy skies. Low around 65F. Winds light and variable.
KINGWOOD — A Nutter Fort man was charged with possession with intent to deliver fentanyl on July 16.
Bond was set at $150,000 for Matthew Jason Franco, 38, by Magistrate Bo Ward.
According to a criminal complaint, about 8:53 p.m. officers from multiple agencies responded to a call of a fight at the Heldreth Motel and found “a large group” of people who appeared to be in an altercation.
According to the complaint, several people told police Franco had sold pills supposed to be oxycodone. A man who took one overdosed and had been administered NARCAN by EMS, who had just left. A K-9 unit showed positive indications of narcotics at Franco’s room and vehicle.
After executing a search warrant on the room, officers found baggies, scales, loaded and unloaded syringes, and drug paraphernalia, according to the complaint. Inside the vehicle, about 50 counterfeit fentanyl pills were found. The pills were marked to appear to be Xanax and oxycodone. Officers said in the complaint they know that people disguise fentanyl as other drugs to make it easier to sell.
Franco reportedly told police they should wear masks while handling the drugs.
REEDSVILLE — State police charged a Detroit man July 18 with possession of meth with intent to deliver and refusal to fingerprint, and said he was wanted by U.S. Marshals.
Magistrate Cindy McCrobie set bond at $100,000 for Julian Michael-Thomas Johnson, 27.
According to a criminal complaint, troopers stopped a Hyundai on W.Va. 7 that was driving astraddle the double center line. The driver agreed to a search of the vehicle and said he didn’t know the man wearing a pink shirt, later identified as Johnson.
Johnson had cash and a 50-gram (about 1.8 ounces) weight in his pocket. Police located a black box zip tied underneath the vehicle. It contained 27 grams of meth. Troopers were able to identify Johnson through the Mountain State Task Force, which said he was being sought by U.S. Marshals on heroin charges.
KINGWOOD — A Masontown man was charged with disorderly conduct, public intoxication and refusal to submit to fingerprints on July 14.
According to a criminal complaint, West Virginia State Police found Brian Keith Calvert, 51, in the parking lot of the Heldreth Motel about 10:13 p.m., where he was accused of pushing a woman, with open containers of beer and liquor on hand.
Bond was set at $300 by Magistrate Ward.
KINGWOOD — Joshua Allen Sapp, 38, of Tunnelton, was charged with fleeing from police in two separate incidents.
On July 11, State Police said in a criminal complaint, Sapp was in a vehicle on W.Va. 92 that had a defective headlight. It stopped and he got out on the driver’s side and fled on foot into the woods. They were unable to find him, despite searching for several hours. A passenger said a backpack in the car containing meth and Subutex was Sapp’s.
Police filed charges of possession of a controlled substance, driving on suspended license, obstructing an officer and fleeing on foot in the incident.
On July 17, troopers said while patrolling Irish Ridge Road, they saw Sapp sitting as the front seat passenger of a vehicle they stopped. He allegedly ran down Squires Road and through a creek before being caught. He was charged with obstructing an officer and fleeing on foot. Magistrate McCrobie set bond at $5,000 total.
The driver in the July 17 incidents, Kimberly Marie Simpson, 28, of Kingwood, was charged with harboring a fugitive. McCrobie set her bond at $1,000.
TERRA ALTA — On July 10, a Preston deputy sheriff said he observed a large window broken at Shorthorn’s in Terra Alta by a brick being thrown through it.
The building owner was called and found some items moved and several bottles of liquor missing from a liquor cart. A padlock had been pried off the cart. The owner shared security video from the business with the deputy, who identified those who went into the room where the liquor cart was and throughout the building as Andrew Michael Anderson, 37, and Kristina Michelle Messersmith, 29, both of Terra Alta.
Each was charged with breaking and entering other than a dwelling. Magistrate McCrobie set bond at $5,000.
REEDSVILLE — On July 17, Steven Curtis McMillen, 53, of Masontown, was charged with third-offense driving on suspended license and not having insurance.
The charges came after McMillen was stopped in Reedsville, while driving a four-wheeler, without wearing a helmet. Magistrate Ward said bond at $1,500.
KINGWOOD — A Preston deputy charged Thomas Michael Smith, 41, of Beckley, with transferring or receiving stolen property, no insurance and driving on a license suspended for DUI.
According to a criminal complaint, the officer stopped Smith in a vehicle with a loud exhaust on June 14, and the registration came back as stolen. Magistrate Ward set bond at $7,500.
KINGWOOD — Troopers were called to Mon Health Preston Memorial Hospital June 23 for a domestic complaint. They charged David Allen Howard, 57, of Tunnelton, with domestic battery and obstructing an officer.
According to the criminal complaint, a woman said when she and Howard argued about a dog, he pushed her onto a bed several times, injuring her foot when it hit the bed frame, and that he held her down by grabbing her wrist and broke her cell phone so she couldn’t call 911. The officer saw red marks on her chest, red marks and abrasions on her left shoulder, and bruising on her left wrist and right heel.
Magistrate Ward set bond at $5,000 surety or $500 cash.
TUNNELTON — Troopers on patrol on Number 4 Road on July 12 said they saw am overturned Subaru.
They found Shawn Douglas Higgs, 28, of Tunnelton, was the driver and had gone for medical treatment. Officers executed a search warrant for his medical records and determined his blood alcohol content was .197. They charged Higgs with aggravated DUI, second-offense driving on suspended license and no insurance.
Magistrate P.L. Grimm set bond at $2,000.
GLADESVILLE — On July 16, state police stopped a Honda with an expired registration driven by Joshua Allen Adams, 33, of Arthurdale, on the Gladesville Road, according to a criminal complaint.
Adams flunked field sobriety tests, according to the complaint, and registered .155 on the breath test. A juvenile was in the car.
Adams was charged with DUI with child endangerment and expired registration. Magistrate Grimm set bond at $1,000.
Your comment has been submitted.
There was a problem reporting this.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Weekly email alert sent every Tuesday and Friday afternoon for Preston County!
Daily News, Sports and Events for Preston County.
Daily News, Sports and Events for Garrett County and surrounding areas.
Morgantown News Delivered to Your Inbox Each Week!
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.
Please disable your ad blocker, whitelist our site, or purchase a subscription
News from around the State and World. What you need to know for today! Don't Miss it!
Find out what's happening around the state with this weekly email alert sent every Thursday evening!
Sign up to get our statewide obits delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign up to receive our daily newsletter about all things business and politics in West Virginia.
Morgantown News Delivered Each Day!
Morgantown News Delivered to Your Inbox Each Week!
Special offers from businesses around your area.
Get the latest headlines on local WVU, College and High School sports!
Get latest breaking news from around the state when it happens.
Daily News, Sports and Events from The ET.
Sign up for the only WV Government and Business newsletter delivered each week!
This week's most popular news from around the State. Don't Miss it!
Daily News, Sports and Events for Marion County.
Weekly Fairmont news emailed every Thursday evening!
Daily News, Sports and Events for Garrett County and surrounding areas.
Find out what's happening in Garrett County with this weekly email alert!
Get the Jackson Star & Herald Delivered to your email everyday!
Get the Jackson News Weekly delivered to your inbox!
Daily news from the Mineral News & Tribune delivered to your email!
Get the news for Mineral County, Keyser and Frankfort delivered to your email on Tuesdays and Fridays!
Daily News, Sports and Events for Preston County.
Weekly email alert sent every Tuesday and Friday afternoon for Preston County!
Get the River Cities Tribune & Register Delivered to your email everyday!
Get the River Cities Tribune and Register Delivered to your email less frequently!
Daily News, Sports and Events for Weston and Surrounding areas.
Sign up for local job offers sent to your inbox.
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Invalid password or account does not exist
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account.
Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
A receipt was sent to your email.