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Elkins couple plead guilty to drug-related charges

The Inter-Mountain photo by Brooke Hinzman Virginia Fortney and Keith Allen Watson each pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to deliver marijuana, a felony charge, in Randolph County Circuit Court.

ELKINS — An Elkins couple entered guilty pleas to drug-related charges in Randolph County Circuit Court.

Virginia Fortney, 44, and Keith Allen Watson, Jr., 33, each pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to deliver marijuana, a felony charge.

According to the initial criminal complaint prepared by Deputy A.B. Beverly of the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, on June 14, officers located substances identified as “weed” and “meth” inside the residence and vehicle shared by Fortney and Watson in addition to several items identified as drug paraphernalia.

When asked by Circuit Judge David Wilmoth what made her guilty of the offense, Fortney responded, “I smoke marijuana and bought and sold a gram or two here and there,” while Watson responded, “We’re engaged, so (it was) ours together.”

When asked if it was his intent to distribute the substances, Watson responded, “If I would’ve found the (marijuana) that was in the bedroom, I would’ve smoked it, but the (marijuana) that was in her car, we were gonna sell some of it to get some of the money back that we paid for it.”

“I gathered up what I found from someone’s bag who was staying at my house and from my children (…) My intentions were to come home and call the cops to turn in what I had found and find out which one of my children were involved — if not all three — because I was done,” said Fortney. “We had been fighting, and we were living like prisoners in our own home anyway because of the meth abuse.”

“I tried to support my children because I did not want them to go in a downward spiral like I’ve seen several times in this town with family members, but it was not working,” she said.

Fortney was represented by attorney Brent Easton, while Watson was represented by attorney Gregory Tingler. Assistant Prosecutor Richard Shryock represented the state.

“I think when it comes down to it, if the situation were several different crimes probably being perpetrated in the same place by different people, and the one that we feel was supported by the evidence here was possession with intent to deliver marijuana,” Easton said.

“Mr. Watson has always been adamant that about the fact that he never possessed methamphetamine with intent to deliver, but he was willing to take ownership of his involvement with the marijuana,” Tingler said.

Pursuant to state code, both Fortney and Watson could be sentenced to one to five years in prison.

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