Herron

BUCKHANNON — A Tuesday traffic stop led to an Upshur County man being behind bars and facing seven charges.

Briton Eugene Herron, 18, is charged with one count DUI, one count of reckless driving, one count of failure to maintain motor vehicle insurance, one count of possession of counterfeit money with intent to utter, one count of prohibited possession of a firearm as an unlawful user, and one count of possession of a controlled substance without valid prescription, all misdemeanors. He is also charged with one count of persons prohibited from possessing firearms — concealed firearm, a felony. 

Herron is currently being held at Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $21,000 cash-only bond.

According to the criminal complaint filed by Corporal Tyler Gordon with the Upshur County Sheriff Office, on Tuesday, Gordon observed a blue SUV turning onto Clarksburg Road with its registration plate bent upwards, which prevented him from clearly reading it as the car passed. After turning around and attempting to catch up to the vehicle, Gordon states that the SUV “clearly accelerated rapidly to elude law enforcement.”

The SUV then, according to the complaint, made a “reckless” turn onto Turkey Run Road and nearly collided with a vehicle while passing another. This was all before Gordon had even turned on his emergency blue lights, the complaint states.

After Gordon turned on his lights, the SUV pulled over and Gordon states that he “identified and detained the driver and owner of the vehicle,” Herron. Gordon, according to the complaint, could smell the “faint odor” of marijuana coming from inside the SUV.

According to the complaint, Herron “initially lied, and then advised he possessed a firearm in his pocket.” Gordon then states that he removed a “concealed, small silver” .32 caliber revolver from Herron’s pocket.

Herron then admitted to Gordon that he also possessed “paraphernalia” inside the vehicle, the complaint states. Gordon wrote that he then located two digital scales, one of which was “covered in methamphetamine,” and seven counterfeit $100 bills. The counterfeit bills were found, according to the complaint, in Herron’s “drug dealing kit” which, to Gordon, showed “intent to use those bills in the purchase of illegal or controlled substances.”

Herron also allegedly admitted to Gordon that he had used marijuana and methamphetamine as recently as the day before, Monday, March 17. This was confirmed by three field sobriety tests, which “showed numerous signs of impairment” in Herron, the complaint states.

According to the complaint, it was determined that Herron’s vehicle had no insurance coverage at the time of the traffic stop.