Williams

BUCKHANNON — An Upshur County man faces multiple felony charges after allegedly illegally possessing guns and manufacturing marijuana in a home where a child lived.

Edward Matthew Williams, 45, is charged with two counts of being a person prohibited from possessing firearms, one count of manufacturing marijuana, and one count of child neglect, all felonies.

He is currently being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $65,000 cash-only bond.

According to the criminal complaint filed by Cpl. Tyler A. Gordon with the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, on Oct. 3, a search warrant was executed on a residence on Booney Hull Road in Upshur County.

During the search, two .22 caliber rifles were located underneath the residence’s kitchen table, the complaint states. Remnants of manufacturing marijuana, including a “processing room,” were also located in the home. A “growing area” and materials for manufacturing were also found near the home.

Williams was identified as a resident of the home and allegedly “claimed responsibility for all the illegal activity inside the residence,” the complaint states. Gordon writes that methamphetamine was also located in a low draw in the living area of the home “where a four year old child lives.”

The complaint states that “all illegal activity and property” was allegedly within the reach of the juvenile on a regular basis, and that Williams was convicted in 2014 for child neglect creating a substantial risk of serious bodily injury or death, a felony.

A preliminary hearing for Williams has been scheduled for Oct. 10 in Upshur County Magistrate Court.