Drug, Robbery Pleas, Negligent Homicide Hearings Held Before Judge Wilson
NEW MARTINSVILLE – Wetzel County Circuit Court Judge Richard Wilson presided over plea hearings related to drugs and robbery and a sentencing related to negligent homicide during the Jan. 13 and Jan. 15 sessions of court.
A deferred plea request by Bradley Levi Baker was approved on Jan. 13 by Wilson, according to information from Donna Price, secretary at the Wetzel County Prosecutor’s Office. Baker will continue to be supervised by probation. After successful completion of his probation period the plea will not be entered and the felony charge will not be recorded.
Baker, 32, was indicted by the May 2024 term of the Wetzel County Grand Jury on the following charges: felony operating a clandestine drug laboratory; felony possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, with intent to deliver; and misdemeanor receiving or possessing stolen property. The crimes allegedly occurred on or about Dec. 19, 2023, in Wetzel County.
A motion to receive a reduced bond from Robert Patrick Dibell was denied by Wilson on Jan. 13, according to Price. Dibell, of Paden City, is charged in a three-count felony indictment handed down by the Grand Jury. Charges include robbery in the first degree, prohibited person in possession of a firearm, and use or presentation of a firearm while engaged in the commission of a felony. The crimes allegedly occurred on or about Nov. 6, 2024, in Wetzel County. Dibell remains incarcerated.
Joseph Andrew Tucker received a suspended one-year prison for the charge of negligent homicide by Wilson during a Jan. 15 hearing, according to Price. Instead of prison, Wilson placed Tucker on probation with the condition of home confinement and work release.
Tucker, 27, back in October pleaded guilty to negligent homicide in an information count.
Wilson accepted the plea and ordered that a presentence report be conducted before the sentencing hearing was slated Jan. 15. Tucker, who resides in Harrison County, W.Va., was originally charged with DUI with death after he lost control of the vehicle he was driving, resulting in the death of a passenger. The passenger was a co-worker and friend of Tuckers.
As part of his plea, Wilson asked Tucker to state why he believed he was guilty. Tucker said on Aug. 19, 2023, he was driving a truck, lost control of the vehicle and the passenger was ejected from the vehicle. The vehicle rolled on top of the man, he said. During his plea hearing, Tucker apologized for his actions and said he was praying for the man’s family. When asked by Wilson, Tucker said the man who died “was a good friend.”
Wilson asked Wetzel County Assistant Prosecutor Justin Craft to give a statement regarding evidence the state would have used if the case had gone to trial on the original indictment. Craft said Tucker was driving the vehicle when he lost control of it, killing the man and injuring two other passengers. He said during a field sobriety test there was no evidence of alcohol use. A blood draw showed evidence of THC and other metabolites, possibly cocaine. A blood draw conducted on the deceased person showed similar toxicology.
Meanwhile, a sentencing hearing for Dale Robert McDaniels II was continued until 3:30 p.m. Jan. 30. McDaniels, a Pine Grove resident, was indicted by a Wetzel County Grand Jury during the January 2023 term on three felony counts of first degree sexual assault.
Also, a hearing for Joseph Anthony Lewis of Paden City also is slated for 3:30 p.m. Jan. 30. Lewis is charged in a one-count indictment with the felony offense of fleeing with reckless indifference. The offense is said to have occurred on or about Sept. 26, 2024, in Wetzel County.