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MONTROSE -- A Randolph County man faces multiple felony charges after allegedly conspiring, intending to deliver drugs and fleeing with another individual who had multiple warrants for their arrest.
Jordaan Lee Slawter, 28, of Huttonsville, is charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of possession with intent to deliver, both felonies. He is currently being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail for these charges on a $50,000 cash-only bond set by Randolph County Magistrate Tracy Harper.
According to the criminal complaints, filed by Trooper Thomas J. Sclimenti with the West Virginia State Police Elkins Detachment, on Aug. 2, Sclimenti was informed by Patrolman D. Sayre of the Elkins Police Department of a tip regarding Slawter being in the Montrose area. Sclimenti was aware that Slawter had active felony warrants from back in May.
Sclimenti observed a vehicle matching the description to Slawter’s vehicle, and followed from a distance until Sayre’s informant confirmed that Slawter was driving the vehicle, the complaint states. The vehicle took “an abrupt” left turn onto the U.S. 33 on-ramp to Kerens, then Clifton Run Road.
Sclimenti, Sayre and Trooper Stewart all initiated their blue emergency lights to begin a traffic stop, according to the complaint. The vehicle then “accelerated” down Clifton Run Road and continued where the road turned to gravel. The vehicle was traveling at approximately 50 mph and failed to yield at a stop sign leading onto Stalnaker Run Road.
The vehicle then moved to the left of the roadway to evade being blocked, the complaint states. Deputy Elbon with the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office maneuvered his truck across the roadway, where the vehicle collided with the front end of his cruiser. When Elbon exited his cruiser, believing the vehicle to be disabled, he instead observed the vehicle driving out the other side of the field it had ended up in. The vehicle continued at high rates of speed, reaching over 85 mph on a 55 mph road, on U.S. 219. It failed to yield at the Kerens on-ramp intersection and continued on U.S. 219. The vehicle allegedly attempted to brake check Sayre’s cruiser “on at least one occasion.”
The vehicle then traveled onto the Old Mill Road/Israel Church Road, and came to a left hand curve in the roadway, the complaint states. Overshooting the hard surface, the vehicle entered into a muddy ditch and lost control, ending up in an overgrown field on the right hand of the roadway.
Both occupants exited the vehicle, with Sayre detaining the female occupant, identified as Michelle Lea Hawkins, the complaint states. Sayre directed Sclimenti as to where Slawter had allegedly fled. Sclimenti followed crushed vegetation until it became “indistinguishable from wildlife trails” and he did not observe Slawter leaving the tall grass. Hawkins, who allegedly had identified the other occupant as Slawter, told police that Slawter was armed with a pistol.
On Aug. 3, Sclimenti escorted the vehicle’s owner to Dawsons Towing Yard to retrieve her vehicle, the complaint states. The owner gave consent for Sclimenti to search the vehicle, where he reportedly observed a glass pipe “commonly used in the consumption of methamphetamine” within the center console. He also allegedly located a large amount of foil strips “commonly used to store and consume narcotics,” a brown coin purse containing a “white crystalline substance consistent with methamphetamine” and a bundle of foil containing a “white powdery substance consistent with fentanyl.”
According to the complaint, on the same date, Trooper H.J. Bonetti obtained a Mirandized statement from Slawter where he allegedly stated that he and Hawkins had received a gram of “slow,” which Sclimenti writes is slang for fentanyl, from another subject. Slawter reportedly said that he and Hawkins were going to give the “slow” to someone in Morgantown because they did not have the “appropriate connections” to get rid of it themselves. He allegedly confirmed the foil bundle Sclimenti had found was the “slow” they had been given and that Hawkins had placed it in the foil. Slawter also reportedly told police the “slow” had been given to him in a bag and Hawkins was supposed to discard it when they fled the vehicle on Aug. 2. Hawkins herself allegedly told police she thought the foil contained methamphetamine for personal use.
Slawter has also been separately charged with one count of fleeing with reckless indifference to safety and one count of conspiracy, both felonies. He is also being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail for these charges on another $50,000 cash-only bond set by Randolph County Magistrate Michael Dyer.
According to another criminal complaint that was filed by Bonetti, on May 5, he was patrolling Mill Creek when he observed a vehicle parked at Bob's Mini Mart.
Bonetti reportedly had prior knowledge that the vehicle's owner, Slawter, had ties with Robert Michael Sparks, "who had multiple felony warrants," the complaint states. Bonetti allegedly positively identified Sparks in the passenger seat of the vehicle. When Bonetti exited his patrol vehicle and attempted to make contact with Slawter and Sparks, Slawter allegedly put the vehicle in reverse and then drove forward behind Bob's Mini Mart and through the car wash, coming out on Helvetia Pike.
Returning to his vehicle, Bonetti activated his emergency overhead lights and attempted to perform a traffic stop, but the other vehicle failed to yield, the complaint states. The other vehicle drove through the Bob's Mini Mart parking lot from Helvetia Pike to allegedly gain access to US-219. Bonetti pursued the vehicle for approximately six minutes, during which, the other vehicle allegedly traveled 68 miles per hour in a posted 40 miles per hour zone and passed the Tygart Valley High School, which is a posted 15 miles per hour zone, while school was in session.
The other vehicle came to a stop near a residence in Huttonsville, the complaint states. Slawter and Sparks allegedly both fled on foot. Bonetti writes that both men conspired to flee.
Sparks, 45, of Huttonsville, is charged with one count of driving revoked DUI third offense, one count of possession with intent to deliver and one count of conspiracy, all felonies. Sparks is currently being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $30,000 cash-only bond.
On June 15, Sparks waived his right to a preliminary hearing in Randolph County Magistrate Court, according to magistrate court records. His case will now be brought before a Randolph County grand jury for consideration. Sparks was represented by attorney Matthew Misfeldt. The state was represented by Assistant Randolph County Prosecutor Leckta Poling. Randolph County Magistrate Benjamin Shepler presided over the hearing.
Another alleged accomplice of Sparks was charged in June.
Sara Elizabeth Nelson, 34, of Mill Creek, is charged with one count of accessory after the fact, a felony. She is currently being held at the Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $10,000 10% to the court bond.
Nelson was allegedly advised by police on numerous occasions that Sparks had multiple felony warrants, yet after Sparks was arrested, Nelson allegedly told Bonetti that, in April, she picked up Sparks at the Sheetz gas station and took him to her father's residence in Elkins. Sparks had been found and arrested by police at Nelson’s father’s residence.
"(Nelson) aided and assisted Robert Sparks knowing Robert Sparks had multiple felony warrants," Bonetti writes in the criminal complaint against Nelson.
On June 23, Randolph County Magistrate Michael Dyer found probable cause against Nelson after a preliminary hearing in Randolph County Magistrate Court. Her case will now be brought before the Randolph County Grand Jury. Nelson was represented by attorney Alex Harclerode. The state was represented by Assistant Randolph County Prosecutor Leckta Poling.