On Tuesday, February 6, the February term of the Braxton County Grand Jury convened with the Honorable Michael W. Asbury, Jr., Circuit Court Judge presiding. The state was represented by Braxton County Prosecuting Attorney Dwayne C. Vandevender. The jury returned indictments against 18 individuals on a total of 40 various charges.
Justin Michael Phillips, 37 of Sutton was indicted on one count of failure to register as sex offender, 2nd offense. In May of 2023, West Virginia State Police CPL George Jones conducted an investigation having been notified Phillips had moved without updating his registry.
Melinda L. Carter, 44 and Kassandra Dawn Utt, 35, both of Sutton, are facing three counts each of possession with intent to deliver and conspiracy. Braxton County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Levi Cochran was part of team serving a search warrant at a residence in Locust Estates in June of 2023. During the search, several items used for drug distribution were located.
Patrick J. Childers, 38 of Birch River and Preston J. McCumbers, 41 of Rosedale, were both indicted by the grand jury on charges of possession with intent to deliver and conspiracy. On June 16, Deputy Cochran conducted a traffic stop for defective equipment. The officer noticed in the vehicle tin-foil containing a white powdery substance leading to a search of the vehicle.
Christopher Allen Davis, 44 of Gassaway is facing one count each domestic battery-3rd offense, domestic assault-3rd offense. Deputy Cochran responded to a call for a domestic disturbance on October 23 at Deer Forest Apartments leading to the charges.
Kyle Lee Greenburg, 28 of Kenna was indicted by the grand jury on two charges, possession of stolen vehicle and false information. WVSP CPL Logan Mohr responded to a welfare check call concerning a car parked at the rest stop north of Burnsville. The vehicle was reported stolen from Kanawha County and Greenburg provided a false name during initial questioning.
Russell Glen Moore, Jr., 50 of Charleston has been charged with possession with intent to deliver. In October of 2022, the accused was being processed by staff at Central Regional Jail when they located meth concealed in his clothing. WVSP CPL David Jordan presented the information to the grand jury.
Stanley Joseph Heater, 49 of Burnsville was indicted and charged with possession with intent to deliver. BCSD CPL Cleve Westfall presented the information on a vehicle accident on Old Turnpike Road to the grand jury. The defendant was found unresponsive in the vehicle and officers located meth and marijuana along with a large quantity of cash during a search.
Roy Benton Moore, 28 of Gassaway has been indicted for grand larceny and entering without breaking. CPL Westfall led the investigation in May of 2023 of stolen items from a storage container in Sutton.
Damon Franklin Dobbins, 21 of Sutton was indicted on charges of grand larceny, entering without breaking, and conspiracy stemming from an investigation on April 30. CPL Westfall responded to the complaint of a burglary at the storage units on Gauley Turnpike Road.
Daniel Owen Riffe, 46 and Casey Sabrina Wilson, 33 both from Gassaway, were indicted on charges of possession with intent to deliver and conspiracy. WVSP SR TPR Joseph Garrett responded to a suspicious person complaint on Scotts Fork-Bonnie Road on February 11, 2023. At the location, the defendants were located in a car parked in the middle of the road. A search of the vehicle led to the officer finding a large quantity of meth and fentanyl.
Leslie Ann White, 45 of Elkview and Samantha Jo Taylor, 34 of Clay have been charged with possession with intent to deliver. SR TPR Garrett assisted other officers with the removal of a child. During the process, he observed items consistent with drug distribution including meth, dozens of white pills, and foil.
Nicholas Kittle, 22 of Buckhannon was indicted and charged with two counts of soliciting a minor via computer and one count of using obscene matter to seduce a minor. BCSD Andrew Jordan presented the evidence from the investigation in July of 2023 to the grand jury.
Darrell Leon Carpenter, 47 of Huntington, was charged with driving revoked for DUI-3rd offense and left of center. BCSD Deputy Andrew Jordan conducted a traffic stop on April 21, 2023 for driving left of center. When Carpenter’s license was ran through control, it was confirmed revoked for DUI in 2020.
Courtney Michelle Amick, 32 of Beckley has been indicted by the grand jury and charged with possession of controlled substance into jail. During her body scan on December 15, 2022, staff at CRJ located a small baggie containing fentanyl.
(Editor’s Note: The return of an indictment by a Grand Jury indicates that a person has been charged formally by the State with the commission of a crime or crimes. It is an accusation. The U.S. Constitution provides that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty by the State. Upon entering a plea of innocent, persons accused of a crime are entitled to a trial by a jury of their peers. The guilt or innocence of the accused is determined by a Petit Jury, not by means of an indictment by a Grand Jury.)