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Bond modified in firearm case

ELKINS — Bond was modified Thursday for an Upshur County man who was allegedly found in possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.

Bond for Shawn Phillip Lee Edwards Jr., 27, of Buckhannon, was modified from $10,000 cash-only to $10,000 cash or surety by Randolph County Chief Magistrate Rob Elbon.

Edwards is charged with one felony count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

Additionally, Edwards waived his preliminary hearing, meaning his case will be bound over to the Randolph County Circuit Court for presentation to a grand jury.

Randolph County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Leckta Poling represented the state, while Edwards appeared with Timothy Prentice as defense counsel. Elbon presided.

At approximately 12:47 a.m. Feb. 6, Elkins Police Department Patrolmen T.C. Bennett and C.G. Boatwright responded to a suspicious activity call in the area of Buffalo Street in Elkins, according to a criminal complaint filed in Randolph County Magistrate Court.

While on the scene, officers saw a man walking toward a blue Jeep Grand Cherokee. When told to stop, the man got into the passenger side of the vehicle and the automobile left the scene, police said.

Officers followed the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop on Harpertown Road. The driver of the vehicle provided a false name and date of birth, according to the complaint. Officers ran the name given by the driver through dispatch and it came back as “not on file.”

Bennett searched the driver and found a loaded Diamondback DB380 .380-caliber handgun tucked into the waistband of his pants.

Bennett also located his wallet and driver’s license, which identified him as Edwards. Dispatch ran a criminal history report and discovered he had a felony conviction for manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance on Oct. 15, 2009, and a felony conviction for conspiracy on June 3, 2009, the complaint states.

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