Kristica Skelley

Two individuals were sentenced in Wetzel County Circuit Court following their guilty pleas entered on Monday. Judge Mark A. Karl presided over these and other returning cases, which are set to continue Oct. 19.

Kristica Skelley, 30, of 714 North Fourth Avenue, Paden City, was sentenced to one to 15 years in the West Virginia Penitentiary for Women with credit for 11 days served for possession of a controlled substance (heroin) with intent to deliver, an offense she pleaded guilty to during her hearing on Monday. However, the execution of her sentence was suspended for two years supervised probation.

Pursuant to the plea agreement, she has agreed to testify truthfully against Michael Fletcher, 29, and Melissa Tanley, 25, both of 114 North Second Avenue, Paden City. Both Fletcher and Tanley are charged with one count of conspiracy to deliver Vicodin, a Schedule III controlled substance.

Skelley will pay court costs and is further ordered to forfeit all monies and property seized by the Paden City Police Department during their investigation. Wetzel County Prosecuting Attorney Timothy Haught noted 120 stamps of heroin and roughly $1,817 in cash were seized by police.

Haught further shared with the court that on or about Feb. 21 in Wetzel County Skelley was working as a confidential informant with the PCPD when she received heroin from Michelle Renee Huey, 24, of 321 McCabe Drive, Greensburg, Pa., who was recently placed on two years probation for a one count information of conspiracy to deliver the controlled substance. Police arrested Skelley for her involvement in that case, wherein Skelley gave a statement to authorities that she went to Pittsburgh to get the drug for the purpose of selling it in Paden City.

Robert Kennedy

On her drug use history form, Skelley stated she was a user of drugs and could not control her drug use or behavior, however she did not request drug counseling as a condition of her sentence. Judge Karl questioned her decision on the matter, to which Skelley stated she had put herself on a program. The judge warned her that should she be found using drugs while on probation, she could serve her original prison sentence.

Robert Kennedy, 41, of HC 62 Box 27, Pine Grove, pleaded guilty to a one count information of assault, a lesser included misdemeanor offense to his one-count indictment handed to him by Wetzel County Grand Jurors on Sept. 13. For his offense Kennedy was sentenced to the Northern Regional Jail for 120 days with credit for 111 days served. He is ordered to pay court costs and restitution to the victim in the case for medical expenses. Kennedy was remanded to the NRJ.

On Sept. 13 grand jurors handed Kennedy a one-count indictment stating that on or about June 13 in Wetzel County, he allegedly committed the felony offense of conspiracy to commit malicious assault in that he intentionally, knowingly, unlawfully, and feloniously conspired with Kevin Kennedy to commit malicious assault.

During the hearing Haught shared the evidence the state had regarding the case which included testimony from two witnesses. According to one testimony, the victim was beaten and kicked by the codefendant in the case, Kevin Kennedy, 23, of 5619 Room 16, Ischua, N.Y., and that toward the end of the beating Robert Kennedy ran up and kicked the victim as well. However, another witness states the defendant wanted to kick the victim but was stopped by the witness. With such information, Robert Kennedy’s original charge of malicious assault was augmented to misdemeanor assault since no physical contact was made.

Robert Kennedy said in court that he ran up to the victim and “made him believe I was going to kick him.”

In other matters, a plea offer has been offered to both Kevin E. Burress, 35, of 111 Brewster Lane, Cedar Bluff, Va., and Wesley L. Burress, 36, of 315 Brewster Lane, Cedar Bluff, Va., who will return to Wetzel County Circuit Court on Oct. 19 at 1:30 p.m. for further proceedings. Their bonds continue.

On Jan. 26 the two Burress brothers, along with Joshua S. Dye, 22, of 2331 Mill Creek Road, Raven, Va., entered innocent pleas for their one-count indictments in connection to an attempted burglary.

The three allegedly worked together in attempting to perform an act of theft on or about Nov. 11, 2010, in Wetzel County which resulted in the receipt of one count each against them.

Joshua Dye and Kevin Burress are charged with one count each of attempted entry of a building other than a dwelling for allegedly attempting to break and enter Norris Pharmacy located in Pine Grove with the intent to commit a larceny therein.

Wesley Burress is charged with one count of aiding and abetting attempted entry of a building other than a dwelling for allegedly counseling with, aiding, and abetting Joshua Dye and Kevin Burress to attempt to break and enter Norris Pharmacy located in Pine Grove.

John Michael Howell, 42, of HC 61 Box 114, New Martinsville, appeared in circuit court without counsel on Monday. Therefore, no action was taken and the judge set a return date for Oct. 19 at 1:30 p.m. Howell was remanded to the Northern Regional Jail.

On Jan. 18 Howell pleaded innocent to his four-count indictment charging him with felony offenses of a sexual and violent nature said to have occurred on or about Dec. 14 in Wetzel County.

Howell faces one count each of the felony offenses of kidnapping, second degree attempted sexual assault, first degree sexual assault, and malicious assault (respective to counts one through four) for acts committed against his wife. The two had been separated since August 2010 and have a child in common.

Howell allegedly attacked the victim when she attempted to leave his residence after picking up the child. The victim was flown from Wetzel County Hospital to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown. Upon his arrest the evening of Dec. 14, 2010, Howell was found with scratches around his left eye, left side, and a bruise on his left arm.

Roger Kent Boggess III, 22, of P.O. Box 227, Hundred, will return to circuit court Oct. 19 at 1:30 p.m. His bond continues.

On Jan. 26 Boggess remained silent as the court entered innocent pleas to his three-count indictment for his offenses said to have occurred on or about Oct. 1, 2010, in Wetzel County.

Count one charges Boggess with possession of marijuana, a Schedule I controlled substance, with the intent to deliver the same; count two alleges Boggess possessed Hydrocodone, a Schedule III controlled substance, with the intent to deliver the same; and count three charges Boggess with possession of Oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, with the intent to deliver the same.

An agreement is reportedly very close in the case of Matthew Smith, 27, of Middlebourne. Smith will return Oct. 19 at 1:30 p.m. wherein it is hoped an agreement is reached pertaining to charges in Wetzel and other surrounding counties. He was remanded to the NRJ.

At his hearing on Oct. 20, 2010, Smith was granted a month to take care of charges against him in Ohio County and was to report back Nov. 19, 2010. However, he failed to appear in November to review his matter of extradition back to Ohio.

During the Oct. 20 hearing it was noted in Wetzel County Circuit Court that Smith was arrested and taken to the NRJ for a warrant against him in Belmont County for driving a motor vehicle without a license. Furthermore, there was a warrant for failure to appear in Monroe County and an additional charge in Belmont County against him.

At that time Smith addressed the court, explaining he intended to take care of the matters in Ohio but needed to stay in Middlebourne to care for his wife and child and maintain his employment in Wheeling. Judge Karl set bond at $500 cash, surety, or professional bondsmen.

Lastly, Melissa Tanley, 25, of 114 North Second Avenue, Paden City, appeared in court wherein Haught asked the matter be passed, as it was likely the codefendant in the case would soon enter a plea which would then resolve Tanley’s case. A return date was set for Oct. 19 at 1:30 p.m. Her bond continues.

Tanley is charged with one count of the felony offense of conspiracy in that on or about Jan. 2, in Wetzel County, Tanley allegedly conspired with Michael Fletcher, 29, also of 114 North Second Avenue, Paden City, to deliver Vicodin, a Schedule III controlled substance.