BUCKHANNON — An Upshur County man faces several felony charges after a child in his care was found living in inhospitable conditions, and he allegedly used counterfeit money at a convenience store.

Thomas Wayne Williams, 32, is charged with one count of gross neglect of a child creating a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury and two counts of counterfeiting, all felonies. He is currently being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $25,000 cash-only bond for the neglect charge, and on a $15,000 surety/cash bond for the counterfeiting charges.

According to the criminal complaint, filed by Chief Deputy Theron Caynor with the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office, on Feb. 19, Williams allegedly entered the Vicksburg Par Mar store on Vicksburg Road in Buckhannon.

At the store, Williams allegedly purchased a drink and cigarettes and gave the cashier a $50 bill, receiving $41.38 back in change, the complaint states. The $50 bill was reportedly found to be a counterfeit.

On Feb. 20, Williams allegedly once again purchased a drink and cigarettes at the store. He reportedly gave the cashier two $5 bills, but when the cashier looked at the bills, they could tell they were counterfeit. The cashier kept the counterfeit money and made Williams pay with legal currency.

The store managers were advised and, after reviewing the store security cameras, Williams was allegedly identified by the managers, the complaint states. A sales ticket of the purchase and the change received by Williams were provided to Caynor along with the security footage.

When Williams allegedly handed the bill to the cashier, it was “clearly marked in several places for motion picture purposes,” the complaint states.

According to a separate criminal complaint filed by Caynor, on March 3, Caynor arrived at Williams’ residence on Tahoe Street in Buckhannon.

While there, Caynor observed a child in the residence, that allegedly “had a thick layer of dog feces on the floor and throughout the house,” the complaint states. Throughout the residence, Caynor reportedly observed there was open trash and trash in the kitchen and living room.

Later, Caynor and another officer returned to the residence and spoke with the child’s mother, who initially stated that the child belonged to another female in the residence, the complaint states. She later stated that the child actually belonged to her and Williams. 

CPS was contacted to come to the residence and reportedly noted a strong odor of dog feces, the complaint states.

Trash was also seen throughout the residence with the child observed walking through the trash and playing on the floor, according to the complaint. There was also reportedly no water in the residence and a bathroom toilet was “full of human feces.”

A preliminary hearing for Williams has been scheduled for March 9 at the Upshur County Magistrate Court