The Morgan County Grand Jury returned indictments against 23 individuals in 24 cases when they met at the Morgan County Circuit Court on January 2. Among them is a Maryland man accused of brutally murdering a South Morgan resident in March, numerous individuals accused of trafficking drugs through Morgan County and individuals accused of sexual crimes against minors.
Individuals who were indicted on the charges will be arraigned on January 18 to enter pleas and have future hearings scheduled in these cases.
An indictment is an accusation, and a determination by the grand jury that there is enough evidence to proceed in a case.
Ian P. Bosben-Grayson, 31, of Maryland was indicted for first degree murder, grand larceny and fraud in connection with an access device. Bosben-Grayson is accused of murdering Geoffrey Reed in his South Morgan home on March 10, 2023, stealing Reed’s vehicle and bank card and trying to use the card at Roy’s Service Center following the murder. Bosben-Grayson was apprehended in Jefferson County in Reed’s Toyota Avalon several days after the killing. He remains in the Eastern Regional Jail awaiting trial. The case was investigated by Lt. Seth Place of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department.
Dylan S. McCusker, 31, of Elk Garden, W.Va. was indicted for strangulation and domestic battery, second offense. McCusker is accused of grabbing an elderly woman, his grandmother, around her neck and striking her in the head in September 2023. Police reported that McCusker had been living with the family members at the time of the incident. The case was investigated by Chief Deputy Johnnie Walter of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department.
Drug dealing
Michael H. Tetteh, 38, of New Market, Md. was indicted for possession with the intent to deliver fentanyl and possession with the intent to deliver cocaine. He is accused of possessing the drugs in a residence being visited by parole officers in December 2023. Tetteh allegedly tried to hide the baggie of drugs. Police located 171 capsules of suspected fentanyl with a weight of 91 grams and 13 bags of suspected cocaine with a total weight of 49 grams.
Gabriel S. Faith, 49, of Berkeley Springs was indicted for manufacture of marijuana, conspiracy, possession of cocaine and possession of Alprazolam. Faith is accused of growing marijuana and conspiring with Ann Beverly Waugh-Hixon to cultivate a dozen planter pots of marijuana in August of 2023, and possessing the other illegal drugs. Waugh-Hixon, 49, was indicted for manufacture of marijuana and conspiracy with Faith to commit the crime. The case was investigated by Trooper B.A. Meyers of the West Virginia State Police.
Tyler K. Hartley, 26, of Hagerstown and Elizabeth Norris, 54, of Paw Paw were indicted for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to deliver the drug and conspiracy to deliver methamphetamine, possession of cocaine with the intent to deliver the drug and conspiracy to deliver cocaine, possession of oxycodone with the intent to deliver the drug and conspiracy to deliver oxycodone, possession of marijuana with the intent to deliver the drug and conspiracy to deliver marijuana.
Hartley and Norris are accused of dealing the drugs in Morgan County in August of 2023. Police report that they stopped a vehicle for a broken light and side mirror and picked up on a strong odor of marijuana during the stop. A search of the vehicle allegedly revealed that Hartley had a loaded handgun in his waistband and a bag in the vehicle contained 23 grams of suspected methamphetamines, 10 grams of marijuana, $420 in U.S. currency and scales. The case was investigated by Lt. Seth Place of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department.
Darrell C. Lavin, 29, of Oldtown, Md. was indicted for transportation of fentanyl into the state in October of 2023. Lavin is accused of bringing the drug to a residence in Paw Paw where police were investigating reports of an overdose. Lavin was reportedly a corrections officer with the State of Maryland. Cpl. Luke Shambaugh of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case.
Dylan A. Payne, 22, of Hanco*ck was indicted for possession of suboxone with the intent to deliver the controlled substance and possession of fentanyl. Payne is accused of having the drugs and dealing them in July of 2023. The case was investigated by Deputy Knotts of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department.
Sexual abuse & child p*rnography
Jessey A. Messner, 30, of Berkeley Springs was indicted on three counts of sexual assault, three counts of third-degree sexual assault and providing alcoholic liquor to a minor. Messner is accused of driving around the region with two teens, purchasing them alcohol and encouraging them to get intoxicated in July of 2023. After dropping one of the teens close to her home, he allegedly took the second teen to an isolated area and assaulted her while she was physically helpless before traveling with her toward her home and leaving her semi-conscious along the roadway. The victim’s father later found the teen around 3 a.m. on an embankment unable to move or speak clearly. The case was investigated by Trooper N. Harmon of the West Virginia State Police.
Edward L. Chamberlain, 43, of Paw Paw was indicted on two counts of possession of material depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. One count was for possession of more than 600 images and the second county for possession of 50 or fewer images. Chamberlain is accused of having sought out and accessed child p*rnography via webchats on devices or computer accounts tied to his name. in June and October of 2023 The case was investigated by Cpl. Z.S. Conner of the West Virginia State Police.
Aidan S. Roderick, 19, of Berkeley Springs was indicted on three counts of first-degree sexual assault. He is accused of having sexual contact with a minor victim under the age of 13 in August of 2023. The case was investigated by Trooper Styles of the West Virginia State Police.
Chris P. Sharp, 30, of Frederick, Md. was indicted for second-degree sexual assault, three counts of first-degree sexual assault and strangulation. He is accused of the crimes against a minor victim in March of 2023, September of 2022 and June of 2023. The case was investigated by Trooper B.A. Meyers of the West Virginia State Police.
Logan N. Kidwell, 24, of Hedgesville was indicted on two counts of use of minors in filming sexually explicit conduct. Kidwell is accused of causing or using a minor victim to engage in explicit conduct knowing it would be photographed or filmed between January and February of 2019 and between September and December of 2020. In both cases the victim was 17 years old. The case was investigated by Capt. Tim Stapleton of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department.
Weapons charges
Mark A. Farester, 67, of Hedgesville was indicted for brandishing and four counts of wanton endangerment. Farester is accused of brandishing a knife and moving toward an employee of a paving company in August of 2023, and, on the same date, pointing a firearm at four separate men. The case was investigated by Trooper B.A. Meyers of the West Virginia State Police.
Roger F. Griffith III, 35, of Hedgesville was indicted for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, being a prohibited person in possession of a concealed firearm, possession of suboxone and possession of marijuana. Griffith is accused of carrying a loaded handgun strapped under his sweatshirt and carrying a separate extended magazine for that gun in late September of 2023 while also possessing suboxone and marijuana during a well-being check by police. An officer had responded to 911 calls that the accused was in the roadway in two locations. When the officer encountered Griffith, he allegedly admitted to being an active drug user. A search of his possessions led police to drug smoking paraphernalia, digital scales, a face mask, unidentified powder and a 31-round extended magazine for a Glock handgun that was strapped to Griffith under his shirt. Law prohibits possession of a firearm and concealed carry of a firearm by a habitual drug user. Griffith remains in the Eastern Regional Jail awaiting hearings in his case. The case was investigated by Lt. Seth Place of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department.
Hunter Orencia, 27, was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He is accused of having the weapon in October of 2023 when police responded to a domestic call. Orencia is not permitted to possess a firearm, having been convicted of the felony of conspiracy to sell a controlled substance in Frederick County Circuit Court. The case was investigated by Trooper B.A. Meyers of the West Virginia State Police.
DUI
Virgil F. Cain, 52, of Berkeley Springs was indicted for aggravated DUI, fleeing from law enforcement while under the influence and driving while his license was suspended. Cain is accused of striking a West Virginia State Police cruiser in September of 2023 and then driving off under the influence of alcohol after the trooper commanded him to stop. The officer was uninjured, and another trooper went to the area of Cain’s residence and allegedly was told Cain had almost hit another vehicle nearby. Officers reportedly found Cain’s vehicle – a pickup truck – in a nearby field on fire. Police reported that Cain registered a .157 blood alcohol concentration when tested. He previously had his driver’s license suspended. The case was investigated by Cpl. Branham of the West Virginia State Police.
Ronnie L. McHenry, Jr., 32, of Berkeley Springs was indicted for DUI, third offense. He is accused of committing the crime in August of 2023. McHenry was previously convicted of DUI in March of 2022 by the District Court of Washington County and in April of 2022 in Talbot County, Md.
Gilbert Puffinberger, II, 50, of Hanco*ck was indicted for driving revoked for DUI, third offense; improper use of registration; no insurance and speeding. Puffinberger is accused of the crimes in November of 2023. He was previously convicted of driving while his license was suspended for DUI in 2018 in Morgan County and in 2016 in Jefferson County.
Brandon A. Roach, 35, of Great Cacapon was indicted for fleeing from law enforcement while under the influence, DUI and possession of fentanyl. He is accused of driving away from an officer who was checking on his well-being after receiving a 911 call about a man passed out in his vehicle on Powerhouse Road in October 2023. Police later located Roach and charged him with being impaired and drug possession. The case was investigated by Trooper Styles of the West Virginia State Police.
Property crimes
Rebecca S. Heath, 36, of Paw Paw was indicted for destruction of property. She is accused of “keying” another woman’s 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan in September of 2023. The case was investigated by Deputy Chris Roper of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department.
Brandon Roach was indicted for possession of stolen property. He is accused of having more than $1,000 worth of tools that had been stolen from a local man. The case was investigated by Sgt. Scott Lemon of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department.
Tonya L. Wink, 38, was indicted for grand larceny. Wink is accused of stealing a 2013 Chevy Cruse.
