Hartman

BUCKHANNON — An Upshur County man faces three felony charges after police allegedly found controlled substances and items used for drug distribution during a traffic stop.

Christopher Lynn Hartman, 40, is charged with one count of driving while license is revoked for DUI third offense, one count of possession with intent to deliver and one count of conspiracy, all felonies. Hartman is being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $75,000 cash-only bond.

According to the criminal complaint, filed by Patrolman Cole Bender with the Buckhannon City Police Department, on March 20, Bender was contacted by an out of uniform officer regarding an “illegal driver” at the Buckhannon Walmart.

The out of uniform officer advised that Hartman, despite having his license revoked for DUI, was allegedly driving out of the parking lot, the complaint states. Bender, who was close by, saw the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop in the parking lot of the Peoples Bank on Locust Street. When Bender made contact with Hartman, he allegedly observed foil in plain sight. Upon further inspection, Bender reportedly observed that the foil had burns and residue.

After removing all four of the vehicle’s occupants, including Hartman, Sgt. Will Courtney had his K9, Erros, do a free air sniff, the complaint states. Erros indicated that he smelled the odor of controlled substances, leading officers to begin searching the vehicle.

When Bender asked the occupants if they had anything on them, one man allegedly advised he had a meth pipe in his pocket. Also reportedly in his pocket was an Altoids can with a bag of methamphetamine inside, a bag of fentanyl and two baggies containing a “rolled tight piece of foil” with fentanyl inside, as well as the keys to the vehicle, the complaint reads.

Upon search of the vehicle, officers allegedly located a grocery bag in the center console that contained two ziplock baggies of rock salt, the complaint states. Officers also reportedly found a duffle bag behind the driver seat with a “very large assortment” of plastic baggies inside. All of the baggies were allegedly the same type as the ones found with the methamphetamine and fentanyl inside. A small digital scale with residue was also reportedly found in the duffle bag.

Hartman allegedly advised Bender that a woman in the vehicle had been driving, but he took over driving when she started falling asleep, the complaint states. After obtaining search warrants for both Hartman and the woman’s cellular devices, Bender observed these messages, which were sent back and forth on the same day as the traffic stop:

Woman: “I need some money for my internet card laundry and to pay this s**t back lol”

Hartman: “What’s the price on it”

Woman: “I mean I’d like to try and point it out as much as possible cause I don’t have very much so I need to make S much as I can off it”

Woman: “My buddy has a little under 2 gs and I’ve got about 2 gs so IDK what he wants for his”

Hartman: “Ok”

Hartman: “I can point it out”

Woman: “Ok I just got home So I need to change and get cleaned up so go ahead and start hitting people up and what not and I’ll be out that way I’ve gotten my car back as well”

Hartman: “Ok”

Bender writes in the complaint that, through his training and experience, and from what he observed in the messages, he believes that the controlled substances found on the man’s person during the traffic stop were “packaged in a way meant for delivery” and that the woman and Hartman were not only aware of them, but were intending on aiding the man with the distribution of the drugs.

Hartman reportedly has two prior driving while license is revoked for DUI convictions, the complaint states. One conviction is from 2011 and the other is from 2016.

A preliminary hearing for Hartman has been scheduled for April 20 in Upshur County Magistrate Court.