24 charged in undercover drug operation

Two dozen people were indicted by the Morgan County Grand Jury on Tuesday, September 4 as a direct result of an undercover drug investigation by the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department.

Called Operation Opiate Overdose, the arrests were the product of several hundred hours of investigations by sheriff’s personnel since late May. The operation included drug buys by confidential informers.

It was the largest drug sweep ever to hit Morgan County.

Ten of those indicted were arrested on Tuesday night following the grand jury proceedings. They were transported via school bus to the Eastern Regional Jail in Martinsburg. Warrants are pending for others.

Assisting in the sweep were the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, West Virginia State Police and bailiffs from the Morgan County Courthouse, in addition to Morgan County Sheriffs’ Reserve, Sheriff Vince Shambaugh said he named Operation Opiate Overdose in memory of those who have died due to overdoses in Morgan County in the past several years.

“For a county with only about 18,000 residents, such a high number as 83 arrested drug dealers in a four-year period is appalling and indicative of a very serious drug problem. We take this problem very seriously and meet it head-on by aggressive investigations and arrests,” Sheriff Shambaugh said.

Many of those indicted by the Grand Jury last week were arraigned before Circuit Judge Andrew Frye on Monday.

The indictments
The 24 people indicted as a result of Operation Opiate Overdose and the charges against them are, in alphabetical order:
--Donald M. Athey, 21, of Rt. 1, Paw Paw, indicted for two counts of delivery of hydrocodone and one count of delivery of heroin.

--Patrick Barr, 39, of Fairbee Road, Berkeley Springs, indicted for two counts of delivery of oxycodone and one count of manufacturing marijuana. He was also indicted for conspiring with Jessica Lester and for false swearing at a Magistrate Court hearing involving Lester in August.

--David L. Bennett, 50, of Cacapon Bed & Breakfast, Berkeley Springs, indicted for conspiring with Hope Twigg to deliver heroin.

--Dallas Carpenter, 18, of Catawba Club, Berkeley Springs, indicted for delivery of hydrocodone, delivery of alprazolam and delivery of marijuana.

--Lorraine Cushall, 53, of Timber Ridge Road, Berkeley Springs, indicted for two counts of delivery of clonezepam, one count of delivery of alprazolam and one count of delivery of hydrocodone.

--Brett M. Hiltz, 18, of Resley Road, Hancock, Md., indicted for delivery of methamphetamine.

--Ricky D. Kyne, 42, of Cacapon B&B, Berkeley Springs, indicted for delivery of amphetamine, delivery of suboxone, and conspiracy to commit the offenses.

--Donald L. Lemaster, Jr., 50, of Berkeley Springs Motel, indicted for two counts of delivery of oxycodone, one count of delivery of heroin and one count of delivery of morphine.

--Jessica R. Lester, 32, now in Eastern Regional Jail, indicted for delivery of oxycodone and manufacturing marijuana. She was also indicted for conspiring with Patrick Barr to commit crimes and false swearing at a Magistrate Court hearing in August.

--Brian C. McBee, 28, of Berkeley Springs, indicted for two counts of delivery of heroin.

--Matthew J. McBee, 47, of Berkeley Springs, indicted for two counts of delivery of oxycodone and for conspiring to commit the crime.

--Wesley D. McCoy, 42, now in Eastern Regional Jail, indicted for two counts of delivery of clonazepam and one count of delivery of percocet.

--Cody Miller, 25, of Berkeley Springs, indicted for two counts of delivery of methadone.

--Eric G. Portarf, 23, of Sir Johns Run Road, Berkeley Springs, indicted for two counts of delivery of heroin, two counts of delivery of marijuana, one count of delivery of oxycodone and for manufacturing marijuana.

--Anthony W. Ray, 25, of Swallow Place, Berkeley Springs, indicted for delivery of morphine, delivery of heroin and conspiring with James T. Ray to commit crimes.

--James T. Ray, 34, of Swallow Place, Berkeley Springs, indicted for delivery of morphine, delivery of heroin and conspiring with Anthony W. Ray.

--Jack Rucker, address unknown, indicted for two counts of delivery of heroin.

--Barbara Ruffner of Timber Ridge Road, Berkeley Springs, indicted for two counts of delivery of alprazolam, one count of delivery of morphine and one count of delivery of oxycodone.

--Melinda S. Smith, 41, of Valley Road, Berkeley Springs, indicted for delivery of oxycodone and conspiring with Robert B. Twigg and Herbert Snyder, Jr. to commit crimes.

--Herbert Snyder, Jr., 47, of Valley Road, Berkeley Springs, indicted for three counts of delivery of oxycodone and one count of delivery of morphine.

--Zachary G. Solomon, 19, of Fairview Drive, Berkeley Springs, indicted for three counts of delivery of hydrocodone.

--Chris Thompson. address unknown, indicted for four counts of delivery of hydrocodone and one count of delivery of clonazepam.

--Hope E. Twigg of Cacapon B&B, indicted for two counts of delivery of heroin and one count of delivery of oxycodone.

--Robert B. Twigg, Cacapon B&B, indicted for two counts of delivery of oxycodone.

Other drug indictments
In addition to those indicted as a result of Operation Opiate Overdose, five others were indicted last week based on earlier charges.

They are:
--Theodore Alvin Bean, 39, of Fairview Drive, Berkeley Springs, indicted for three counts of delivery of heroin, and one count of possession of heroin with intent to deliver. He is free on $25,000 bond set in Magistrate Court.

--Danielle M. Dusing, 22, indicted for possession of oxycodone with intent to deliver and possession of valium. Also charged with other crimes, Dusing is in the Eastern Regional Jail in lieu of $10,000 bond.

--Jeremiah Hale, 32, of Sawmill Lane, Berkeley Springs, indicted for manufacturing marijuana and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. He is free on $5,000 personal recognizance bond.

--Anthony William Padhina, Jr., 19, of Gateway Drive, Hedgesville, indicted for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver. He is free on $5,000 personal recognizance bond.

--Anthony Daniel Soustek, 26, of McHenry Lane, Berkeley Springs, indicted for of possession of alprazolam and marijuana. Also charged with other offenses, Soustek is free on $12,200 bond.