BUCKHANNON — Two Upshur County men have been arrested for allegedly creating a false campaign website against a Buckhannon City Council candidate.

Asad D. Khan, 19, of Buckhannon, and Michael L. Morehead, 42, of Buckhannon were charged with publish, issue or circulate or cause to be publish, issued or circulated, any anonymous letter, circular, placard, radio or television advertisement, or other publication supporting or aiding the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate, a misdemeanor. Morehead also faces a count of additional acts forbidden; circulation of written matter; newspaper advertising; solicitation of contributions; intimidation and coercion of employees; promise of employment or other benefits; limitations on contributions; public contractors, a misdemeanor.

The two allegedly violated West Virginia State Code Chapter 3-8-12 regarding elections.

On Feb. 22, Morehead allegedly published a false campaign website, anonymously, against Sheila Sines, a candidate for Buckhannon City Council, according to the criminal complaint in the Upshur County Magistrate Clerk’s office. The account was created under the fake name of Ray Sines, husband to Shelia Sines, with a fake physical address, but used Morehead’s phone number and email address. Cpl. Tyler Gordon with the Upshur County Sheriff’s Department also confirmed that Morehead paid for the site.

“Morehead admitted to this officer making and facilitating the creation of fake website, but claims he was assisted by Asad Derya Khan in the creation and the sharing of the fake and false website,” Gordon wrote in the criminal complaint.

“Along with Morehead, Asad D. Khan admits to conspiring with Morehead on numerous occasions to create political ads against the victim,” Gordon continued in the criminal complaint.

Gordon was given screen shots from a Facebook account under the alias Jackson Hartman.

Both Khan and Morehead had access and usage of the Jackson Hartman Facebook account, which was made and used in the political bias against Sines, according to the criminal complaint.

Sines would later be one of two people in a tie for the third city council seat in June. However, the tie was broken following the results of the election canvass and councilman C.J. Rylands won re-election by six votes.

Morehead copied the victim’s original website layout and contents but falsified several items to defame Sines, according to the criminal complaint. The false website references legalization of and lowering the cost of cocaine, sexual references about male adult entertainers and called Sines a religious bigot.

All were false statements intended to persuade the public to oppose Sine’s candidacy, according to the complaint.

Khan filed pre-candidacy papers for Buckhannon City Council but did not file to run for the office during the official filing period and was not on the ballot.

On July 24, 26th Judicial Circuit Judge Jacob Reger signed an administrative order disqualifying both Upshur County magistrates from the cases and reassigning the case to Lewis County Magistrate Michael Gissy.

The order came after Upshur County Magistrate Mike Coffman requested an out-of-county magistrate to preside over the cases due to Khan’s father, Dr. Ali Khan, being his family’s doctor, according to documents in the file.

On Aug. 5, Gissy issued summons to both Khan and Morehead to appear at the Upshur County Courthouse on Aug. 19 for separate initial appearance hearings.

Gissy set bond at $3,000 personal recognizance for Khan and $6,000 personal recognizance for Morehead.

Both men were ordered to have no contact with Shelia Sines.