Jordan

BELINGTON — A Coalton woman is facing a felony charge after allegedly transporting fentanyl into Tygart Valley Regional Jail while being brought in for other drug-related charges in Barbour County.

Candice Marie Jordan, 40, is charged in Randolph County with one count of transporting a controlled substance into a state correctional facility, a felony.

She is also charged in Barbour County with one count of conspiracy to manufacture, deliver or possess with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, and one count of manufacturing or possessing a control substance with intent to deliver Schedule I or II narcotic or meth, both felonies.

Jordan is currently being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $10,000 cash-only bond for the charge in Randolph County, and on a $100,000 surety/cash bond for the charges in Barbour County.

According to the criminal complaint filed in Barbour County, by Deputy C. Curkendall with the Barbour County Sheriff’s Office, on Aug. 3, Curkendall and Trooper First Class B. S. Stout with the West Virginia State Police responded to a report of two individuals “actively using narcotics” in a vehicle near Arnolds Run Road in Barbour County.

Prior to police arrival, the vehicle began to travel on Route 57 toward Philippi, the complaint states. Curkendall came across the vehicle, and after beginning to follow, witnessed the vehicle cross the center lane twice and have “significant movement” in the vehicle’s cabin. Curkendall then conducted a traffic stop, though the vehicle initially slowed and moved to the right while continuing to travel approximately half a mile before stopping.

The driver, later identified as Michael B. Ketterman, “immediately attempted to exit the vehicle,” the complaint states; however, Curkendall positioned his patrol unit to block the vehicle. While Stout detained Ketterman, Curkendall spoke with the passenger, identified as Jordan.

Jordan, the passenger, was observed making “furtive movements and attempting to conceal plastic bags,” the complaint states. As Curkendall was detaining Jordan, he witnessed a “crystal-like substance” fall to the ground from a torn plastic bag that Jordan had in her hand.

A search of the vehicle found syringes, glass pipes, plastic baggies, magnetic storage containers and digital scales, the complaint states. After being advised of her Miranda Rights, Jordan allegedly admitted that she was concealing a large quantity of methamphetamine inside her pants. After being identified and weighed, the item found in Jordan’s pants was confirmed to be “approximately 114 grams” of methamphetamine.

According to the criminal complaint filed in Randolph County, by Stout, he states that Jordan was asked repeatedly if she had anything else hidden on or in her body. Jordan continued to deny having anything else on her and was then transported into Randolph County to Tygart Valley Regional Jail to await arraignment.

Upon arriving at the jail, the complaint states that a correctional officer performed a search of Jordan and located a bag of suspected fentanyl “in her vaginal area.” Curkendall writes in his complaint that the bag of suspected fentanyl found in Jordan weighed 19 grams.