Cops and Courts

106 indicted by Mon County grand jury

by Erin Cleavenger, The Dominion Post

The first Monongalia County grand jury of 2023 returned 106 indictments, significantly lower than the 150 indicted in September 2022.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt, but a formal felony charge issued by a grand jury stating there is enough evidence the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial.

The defendants will move on to fight charges ranging from murder and malicious assault to fraud, with the most common charges being related to drugs, domestic assault, sexual assault or abuse, DUIs, and larceny.

Last week’s grand jury was the last forMonongalia County Prosecutor Perri Jo DeChristopher, who will be sworn in to her new position as circuit court judge soon.

“The fact that the January 2023 Grand Jury was the last in which I will participate as a prosecutor after 25 years in Monongalia County makes me a bit sad,” DeChristopher said, “but looking back at the last 75 grand jury proceedings in which I participated, I am very proud at what I have accomplished at the Prosecutor’s Office,” she said.

The following individuals were indicted and will now continue their cases in Monongalia County Circuit court as prosecutors work to convict.

  • Benton, Denita, burglary, battery, destruction of property
  • Lincoln, John Ralph, grand larceny, petit larceny, two counts breaking & entering of a vehicle, destruction of property
  • Moats, Jesse L., obtaining money by false pretenses
  • Melkus , Caleb M., DUI with injury, leaving the scene of an accident, DUI-1st offense
  • Hinzman, James M., transferring stolen property
  • Plavi, Lawrence M., breaking without entering, vehicle tampering, possession of a controlled substance
  • Houston, Todd, breaking and entering, two counts grand larceny
  • Amos, Javonn Patrick, strangulation, unlawful restraint
  • Coston, Joseph Isaiah, wanton endangerment involving a firearm, possession of a controlled substance
  • Saunders, Kali Rose, fraudulent scheme, two counts uttering
  • Saunders, Jason Devon, first degree robbery
  • Courtwright, Thomas E., first degree robbery, conspiracy, wanton endangerment
  • Courtwright, Gary J., first degree robbery, conspiracy, wanton endangerment, battery
  • Ellison, Debra Louise, DUI – 3rd or subsequent
  • Pauley Jr., Rosell K., suffocation, violation of protective order
  • Estle, Edward Allen, shoplifting – 3rd or subsequent offense
  • Dudley III, Charles E., two counts possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
  • Meredith, Blair H., breaking and entering, petit larceny
  • Gooden, Matthew B., domestic battery – 3rd or subsequent offense
  • Stutzman, William, obtaining money by false pretenses
  • Young, Warren B., three counts possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to commit a felony drug crime
  • Coles, Cherokee C., three counts possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to commit a felony drug crime
  • Horne, Keith E., two counts possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to commit a felony drug crime
  • DePriest, Ashley N., delivery of a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
  • Boyd, Darnell M., possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
  • Ramsey, Wesley Scott, two counts malicious assault, wanton endangerment involving a firearm
  • Ramsey, Edward Joseph, two counts malicious assault, wanton endangerment involving a firearm
  • Hall, Donald, possession of material of minors in sexually explicit conduct
  • Riley Jr., Todd William, first degree arson
  • Bookshar, Brian Matthew, grand larceny, conspiracy
  • Miller, David Michael, grand larceny, conspiracy
  • McCargo, Nyqwan, attempted murder, first degree malicious assault
  • Shugars, Rebecca R. shoplifting – 3rd or subsequent offense
  • Powell, Tyele A., intimidation of a witness
  • Kovacs, Jack C., malicious assault, battery
  • Pauley Jr., Rosell K., strangulation, domestic battery, DUI – 2nd offense
  • Richison, Rebecca G., shoplifting – 3rd or subsequent offense
  • Nelson, Jack D., conspiracy
  • Mayfield, Max, possession of material of minors in sexually explicit conduct
  • Williams, Chance A., first degree murder
  • Jones, Nathaniel S., worthless check felony
  • Daye, Irron L., three counts possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to commit a felony drug crime
  • Sargent, Tasharka aka “Phill,” three counts possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to commit a felony drug crime
  • Mount, Wendell J., three counts possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to commit a felony drug crime
  • Collett, Dakota A., distribution or displays to minors of sexually explicit material
  • Watkins, Danielle D., malicious assault
  • Barb, Norman P., possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to commit a felony drug crime
  • Ponceroff, Jenny J., possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to commit a felony drug crime
  • Stroop, Thomas Craig, access device fraud
  • Tucker, Robert James, three counts domestic battery and assault, destruction of property
  • Richards, Owen C., illegal manufacture or possession of an incendiary device, false report concerning explosives
  • Ebaugh, Joshua J., breaking and entering
  • Moats Jr., Rodney A., first degree arson, gross child neglect with risk of injury, domestic assault, interfering with emergency communications
  • Dudley III, Charles E., possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
  • Massey, Trabon A., malicious assault, grand larceny
  • Rowe, Seth, grand larceny, petit larceny, access device fraud, attempted access device fraud, battery on a law enforcement officer, obstructing
  • Thompson Jr., Adam D., child abuse with injury, two counts domestic battery
  • McCoy, Christopher D., three counts access device fraud
  • Allen II, David D., burglary, petit larceny
  • Ford Sr., Terry L., transferring stolen property
  • Jones, Briar D., entering without breaking, grand larceny, destruction of property
  • Grimm, Monica L., shoplifting – 3rd or subsequent offense
  • Mullenax, Christopher Brian, grand larceny
  • Selman, Travis L., two counts receiving stolen property
  • Latham, Rashad S., possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
  • Gober, Blake B., theft of a rental vehicle, grand larceny
  • McCardle, Adam S., malicious wounding
  • Johnson, Ronald T., two counts possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
  • Benbow, William W., three counts possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
  • Koval, Jeremy D., DUI – 3rd or subsequent
  • Stewart, Rodney A., four counts sexual abuse of a minor by parent or guardian, two counts sexual assault, two counts gross child neglect
  • Stewart, Michele, two counts gross child neglect
  • Afolabi, Tomiwa S., first degree sexual abuse, second degree sexual assault
  • Afolabi, Tomiwa S., second degree sexual assault
  • Sneed, Eric A., first degree murder, wanton endangerment, illegal possession of a firearm
  • Dudley III, Charles E., burglary, petit larceny, destruction of property
  • Piper, Brady J., access device fraud, conspiracy
  • Trump, Jonathan M., possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
  • Harris, Nathaniel B., fraudulent scheme, conspiracy 
  • Shuttlesworth, Anthony M., kidnapping
  • Efaw, Marion, receiving or transferring stolen goods, conspiracy
  • Murray, Raymond W., receiving or transferring stolen goods, conspiracy
  • Fenske, Amber D., embezzlement
  • Estle, Edward A., three counts access device fraud, attempted access device fraud
  • Huntley Jr., Kenneth Leslie, DUI – 3rd or subsequent, driving while license suspended – DUI – 3rd or subsequent, forgery of a public record
  • Allen, Stephanie A., two counts possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, illegal possession of a firearm
  • Shaffer , Thomas R., possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
  • Hartley , Kaleb A., grand larceny
  • Johnson, Ricky R., concealing stolen property
  • Guthrie, Eric L., wanton endangerment, domestic battery, domestic assault
  • Burton, Kaitlin Michelle, forgery of a public record
  • Lambert III, Robert Franklin, burglary, domestic assault, misdemeanor destruction of property
  • Mayle, James W., three counts sexual assault of a minor by a parent or guardian, two counts sexual assault, two counts incest
  • Jones, Nathaniel, obtaining property in return for a worthless check, fraudulent scheme
  • Plavi, Lawrence M., entering without breaking, petit larceny, injuring or tampering with a vehicle
  • Plavi, Lawrence M., entering without breaking, petit larceny, injuring or tampering with a vehicle
  • Fennell, Elijah Marquis, two counts possession with intent to distribute controlled substances
  • Kessler, Elizabeth D., burglary, battery
  • Rogers , Logan Andrew, entering without breaking, grand larceny
  • Cunningham, Justin David, DUI – 3rd or subsequent
  • Howard, Cody Ray, entering without breaking, unlawful taking of a vehicle, felony destruction of property, misdemeanor destruction of property
  • Paugh III, Larry Allen, burglary
  • Brannon, Spencer, malicious assault
  • Lehman, Raymond, driving while license suspended – DUI – 3rd or subsequent.