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ELKINS -- Four individuals who were arrested as part of a drug raid earlier this month at the Central School Building in Elkins appeared in Randolph County Magistrate Court this week, three of them entering guilty pleas.
Kathy Lorrane Raines, 62, of Elkins, was sentenced to 90 days in jail, suspended for one year of unsupervised probation after entering into a plea agreement. Teresa Gail Raines, 46, and David Wayne Crites, 49, both of Elkins, each were also sentenced to 90 days in jail and must serve 30 days before the remainder of their sentences are suspended for six months of unsupervised probation.
Each of the three pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance, as part of the agreement. The prosecution dismissed the original charge of one felony count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance in all three cases.
Charles Junior Shrout, 54, of Elkins, had his preliminary hearing continued due to a possible conflict of interest his attorney, Christopher Cooper, believed he may have in the case. Shrout is charged with one felony count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and remains housed at Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $100,000 cash-only bond.
Randolph County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Richard Shryock represented the state and Magistrate Ben Shepler presided in all four cases. Kathy Raines appeared with Melissa Roman as defense counsel, while Teresa Raines appeared with Greg Tingler and Crites appeared with Kourtney Ryan.
According to criminal reports filed in Randolph County Magistrate Court, a confidential informant told Belt that Crites, Shrout and Teresa Raines live in apartment 309 while Kathy Raines lives in Apartment 308. The informant added all of them were at apartment 309 over the past few days and a black and blue backpack had been seen in the kitchen containing methamphetamine.
The informant said Crites had moved the drugs between the two apartments, according to the complaint.
Belt, along with several EPD officers, as well as Deputy D.D. Pennington, of the RCSO, went to the apartment complex on the evening of Dec. 8. No residents of either apartment answered the door, prompting officers to forcibly enter the residences. Once inside apartment 309, officers located Crites, Shrout and Teresa Raines. Inside apartment 308, they also were able to locate Kathy Raines, the complaint states.
Items found inside apartment 309 included one homemade bong, one glass ball jar with white, crystal-like substance inside, seven glass pipes, a butterfly knife, a digital scale, two small baggies with white, crystal-like substance, an Altoid container with three white pills inside and $20. All the items were found inside a black bag on the kitchen counter except for two glass pipes which were found in a bedroom, according to the complaint.
In apartment 308, officers found three metal grinders, three glass bongs, 17 glass smoking devices, two knives with black residue, $35, four bags of a green, leafy substance, one small jar containing green, leafy substance, one scale, one deer antler smoking device, four Tramadol pills and a box of baggies, the complaint states.
Also in Randolph County Magistrate Court:
• Tammy Lucille Watson, 51, of Elkins, was sentenced to 90 days in jail, which will be suspended for six months of supervised probation after she completes 30 days of incarceration.
She pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance, as part of a plea agreement. The prosecution dismissed the original charge of one felony count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.
Shryock represented the state while Watson appeared with Dennis Willett as defense counsel. Shepler presided.
• Bond was modified from $100,000 cash-only to $100,000 cash or surety in the case of Domingo Ortiz Jr., 48, of Elkins.
Ortiz is charged with one felony count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.
Additionally, a ruling was made that probable cause for the arrest of Ortiz had been established, meaning his case will be bound over to Randolph County Circuit Court for presentation to a grand jury.
Shryock represented the state while Ortiz appeared with Brian Bailey as defense counsel. Shepler presided.
• Probable cause was ruled to have been met in the case of Jason Richard White, 36, of Elkins.
White is charged with one felony count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. He remains housed at TVRJ on a $100,000 cash-only bond.
The ruling means White's case will be bound over to Randolph County Circuit Court for presentation to a grand jury.
Shryock represented the state while White appeared with Cooper as defense counsel. Shepler presided.