Long Admits To Having Ingredients For Meth Lab
Amanda L. Long, 29, of 414 Ohio Street, New Martinsville, pleaded guilty Tuesday to possession of precursors to methamphetamine.
A pre-sentencing report will be filed by Chief Probation Officer John D. Lantz and Long will return to court July 15, 9 a.m.
Prosecuting Attorney Timothy Haught stated that Long’s offense occurred at the Plaza Inn. He explained that NMPD had been investigating violations involving Long, and law enforcement obtained a search warrant. They then discovered several materials used to make methamphetamine, including Drano, Epsom salt, and iodized salt. Haught stated that other equipment was also found, including coffee filters and various bottles with tubing. Haught said the state police were called in for clean-up of the site and the items were seized, photographed, and destroyed.
Long agreed with Haught’s description of the offense, stating she had all the materials needed for a methamphetamine lab. She stated she had batteries, Sudafed, bottles, lye, and drain cleaner. “It was a mistake. I have a problem. It took me to hit rock bottom,” she emotionally stated. Long said she started with prescription medications and then moved on to heroin, because it was cheaper. She added that the methamphetamine “speeds you up . . . it speeds me up.”
Relatedly, Long was one of six people named in a sealed indictment from the June session of the Tyler County grand jury.
While individual charges were not given during a press conference held by Tyler County Prosecutor Luke Furbee on the Tyler County Courthouse steps, he did say they were methamphetamine conspiracy indictments alleged to have occurred between October 2013 to February 2014.
In another matter, Duwayne Louis Ueltschey, 35, of 40031 State Route 26, Woodsfield, was released from prison and onto probation after his attorney, Patricia Kurelac entered a motion to modify his sentence. Ueltschey pleaded guilty to an information count of uttering Oct. 17 in Wetzel County Circuit Court.
Kurelac stated that Attorney John Gainer had represented Ueltschey in regards to his companion charge of forgery in Tyler County. Kurelac stated that Ueltschey was granted a reduction in sentence in his Tyler County case in May. “I believe the charges ran concurrent,” she noted. “He was sentenced to serve one to 10 years.” Kurelac stated that Ueltschey had been a model inmate as far as she knew and she did not believe he had done anything wrong since being granted a reduction in sentence in Tyler County.
Prosecutor Haught agreed with Kurelac, stating he had no objection to Ueltschey’s release from prison, as Tyler County Circuit Court had granted it.
When asked by Judge David W. Hummel what offense he had committed, Ueltschey stated he had cashed bad checks. “They didn’t belong to me,” he noted, adding that he used them to buy drugs. Ueltschey stated he had a serious addiction to painkillers and had recently graduated from a drug rehabilitation program in prison.
Hummel stated he would grant Ueltschey a reduction in sentence and released him onto three years of probation. Hummel further advised that he was going to have Ueltschey assessed for drug court and ordered Attorney Kurelac to research a Department of Corrections transition follow-up program to the program Ueltschey completed while in prison.
In another matter, Meghan Brooke Ashcraft-Moore, 30, of Route 1 Box 5, Folsom, pleaded guilty to count one of her two-count indictment, manufacturing a controlled substance (marijuana). Count two of her indictment, possession of a controlled substance (marijuana) with intent to deliver, was dismissed pursuant to the plea agreement.
For this offense, Moore was sentenced to one to five years in the West Virginia Penitentiary for Women; however, the execution of this sentence was suspended and Moore was instead placed on two years of supervised probation.
Prosecutor Haught stated that Corporal Roger Spragg of the Wetzel County Sheriff’s Department had been conducting an investigation and made contact with Moore. Haught stated that Spragg received consent from Moore to perform a search, during which, “six or seven” marijuana plants were found, along with other materials, including a quantity of marijuana.