October 14, 2024

Gallia Grand Jury Indicts Several Meigs Countians

(Editor’s Note: An indictment by a grand jury does not mean the individual is guilty of a crime. It is part of the legal process. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.)

GALLIPOLIS, Ohio – Prosecuting Attorney Jason D. Holdren announces that the Gallia County Grand Jury met and handed down indictments in October, November, and December of 2020. This list includes several Meigs Countians.

Indicted in October by the Gallia Grand Jury was Jessica L. Walker, 32, of Racine, Ohio, one count of Aggravated Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the fifth degree.

Indicted in December were several individuals. Robert E. Thorla, Jr., 42, of Racine, Ohio, one count of Receiving Stolen Property, a felony of the fifth degree. Luke N. Dillard, 30, of Racine, Ohio, one count of Possession of Heroin, a felony of the fifth degree. 

Also indicted was Carl Don Brewer, 36, of Portland, Ohio, one count of Possession of Heroin, a felony of the fifth degree; and one count of Possession of Fentanyl Related Compound, a felony of the fifth degree. 

OCTOBER – 2020

Matthew Edward Day, 20, of Crown City, Ohio, one count of Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle, a felony of the fourth degree; and one count of Receiving Stolen Property, a felony of the fourth degree. 

Richard M. Wade, Jr., 35, of Detroit, Michigan, one count of Having Weapons While Under Disability, a felony of the third degree; one count of Receiving Stolen Property, a felony of the fourth degree; and one count of Improper Handling of a Firearm in a Motor Vehicle, a felony of the fourth degree. 

Brandon Wayne Adams, 37, of Patriot, Ohio, one count of Carrying Concealed Weapon, a felony of the fourth degree; and one count of Improper Handling of a Firearm in a Motor Vehicle, a felony of the fourth degree. 

Matthew M. Baird, 36, of Thurman, Ohio, two counts of Felonious Assault, felonies of the second degree.

Travis Edward Johnson, 30, of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, one count of Aggravated Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the third degree; and one count of Aggravated Trafficking in Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the third degree. 

Jimmy Murphy, 39, of Gallipolis, Ohio, one count of Non-Support of Dependents, a felony of the fifth degree.

Michael Ray Spence, 37, of Gallipolis, Ohio, three counts of Non-Support of Dependents, felonies of the fifth degree.

Judy Stapleton, 34, of Gallipolis, Ohio, one count of Non-Support of Dependents, a felony of the fifth degree.

NOVEMBER – 2020

Leland L. Wilson, 57, of Gallipolis, Ohio, one count of Theft, a felony of the fifth degree; and one count of Receiving Stolen Property, a felony of the fifth degree.

Donna M. Wilson, 56, of Gallipolis, Ohio, one count of Theft, a felony of the fifth degree; and one count of Receiving Stolen Property, a felony of the fifth degree. 

Zachariah Allen Russell, 25, of Bidwell, Ohio, one count of Receiving Stolen Property, a felony of the fifth degree; one count of Tampering with Evidence, a felony of the third degree; one count of Telecommunications Fraud, a felony of the fifth degree; and one count of Theft, a felony of the fifth degree.

Jesse William-Lewis McGuire, 22, of Scottown, Ohio, one count of Voyeurism, a felony of the fifth degree. 

Adam Wesley Slack, 25, of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, one count of Possession of Heroin, a felony of the fourth degree; one count of Possession of Fentanyl Related Compound, a felony of the fifth degree; one count of Possession of Cocaine, a felony of the fifth degree; one count of Trafficking in Heroin, a felony of the fourth degree; one count of Trafficking in a Fentanyl Related Compound, a felony of the fifth degree; and one count of Trafficking in Cocaine, a felony of the fifth degree. 

David Harper, 31, of Vinton, Ohio, two counts of Non-Support of Dependents, both felonies of the fifth degree. 

Anthony Kyle Knepper, 30, of Gallipolis, Ohio, one count of Failure to Comply with Order or Signal of Police Officer, a felony of the third degree. 

Gary P. McGuire, 45, of Gallipolis, Ohio, two counts of Rape, both felonies of the first degree.

Bretton Stutes, 26, of Gallipolis, Ohio, one count of Trespassing in a Habitation when a Person is Present or Likely to be Present (with gun specification), a felony of the fourth degree; and one count of Violating Protection Order, a felony of the fifth degree.

Sethie Adam Wolford, 31, of Gallipolis, Ohio, one count of Failure to Appear, a felony of the fourth degree. 

Lawrence R. Fornash, Jr., 41, of Crown City, Ohio, two counts of Having Weapons While Under Disability, both felonies of the third degree. 

Marithe Taysean Beach, 19, of Gallipolis, Ohio, one count of Possession of Marihuana, a felony of the fifth degree; and one count of Trafficking in Marihuana, a felony of the third degree. 

Shawn Jay Lawson, 49, of Rio Grande, Ohio, one count of Possession of Fentanyl Related Compound, a felony of the fifth degree; one count of Possession of Cocaine, a felony of the fifth degree; and one count of Possession of Heroin, a felony of the fifth degree. 

Anthony K. Stout, 52, of Gallipolis, Ohio, one count of Having Weapons While Under Disability; a felony of the third degree. 

Jason L. Hartshorn, 32, of Gallipolis, Ohio, one count of Aggravated Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the third degree; and one count of Aggravated Trafficking in Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the third degree. 

Crystal E. Hartshorn, 35, of Gallipolis, Ohio, one count of Aggravated Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the third degree; and one count of Aggravated Trafficking in Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the third degree. 

DECEMBER – 2020

Thomas Charles Patrick, 50, of Gallipolis, Ohio, one count of Aggravated Trafficking in Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the first degree; one count of Aggravated Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the first degree; one count of Possession of a Fentanyl Related Compound, a felony of the first degree; one count of Trafficking in Fentanyl Related Compound, a felony of the first degree; and one count of Receiving Stolen Property, a felony of the fourth degree. 

Seth Jeffers, 24, of Gallipolis, Ohio, one count of Receiving Stolen Property, a felony of the fourth degree. 

Robert E. Thacker, 31, of Bidwell, Ohio, one count of Possession of Heroin, a felony of the fifth degree; and one count of Possession of Fentanyl Related Compound, a felony of the fifth degree. 

Kayla N. Smith, 21, of Henderson, West Virginia, one count of Possession of Heroin, a felony of the fifth degree. 

Fred K. Wray, 44, of Crown City, Ohio, one count of Aggravated Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the fifth degree. 

Faynia M. Marbury, 41, of Circleville, Ohio, one count of Receiving Stolen Property, a felony of the fourth degree; and one count of Identity Fraud, a felony of the fifth degree. 

Cory Allen Caldwell, 20, of Vinton, Ohio, one count of Receiving Stolen Property, a felony of the fourth degree. 

Bradley Scott Thomas, 34, of Gallipolis, Ohio, one count of Aggravated Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the fifth degree. 

Joseph Allen Collins, 37, of Gallipolis, Ohio, two counts of Aggravated Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), both felonies of the fifth degree. 

Glenvor Taylor Durst, 41, of Henderson, West Virginia, one count of Aggravated Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the fifth degree. 

Keith W. Lamm, 32, of Cheshire, Ohio, one count of Aggravated Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the fifth degree. 

John Christopher Smith, 25, of Willowood, Ohio, one count of Possession of Heroin, a felony of the fifth degree; and one count of Possession of Fentanyl Related Compound, a felony of the fifth degree. 

Jason D. Fisher, 51, of Gallipolis, Ohio, one count of Possession of Fentanyl Related Compound, a felony of the fifth degree.

Michael A. Saunders, 34, of Gallipolis, Ohio, one count of Vandalism, a felony of the fifth degree. 

Randall D. Bailey, 32, of Bidwell, Ohio, one count of Aggravated Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the fifth degree. 

Johnathan Stephen Burke, 20, of Gallipolis, Ohio, one count of Receiving Stolen Property, a felony of the fifth degree. 

Joseph Thomas Dean Cremeans, 31, of Patriot, Ohio, two counts of Grand Theft, both felonies of the fourth degree; two counts of Receiving Stolen Property, both felonies of the fourth degree; and one count of Forgery, a felony of the fifth degree. 

Jody Marie Blankenship, 35, of Waverly, Ohio, one count of Improper Handling of a Firearm in a Motor Vehicle, a felony of the fourth degree. 

Tony L. Puckett, 47, of Oak Hill, Ohio, one count of Receiving Stolen Property, a felony of the fifth degree. 

Allen W. Burke, 42, of Bidwell, Ohio, Felony OVI, a felony of the third degree; and one count of Aggravated Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the fifth degree. 

Stephen J. White, 42, of Gallipolis, Ohio, one count of Aggravated Trafficking in Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the third degree; one count of Aggravated Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the third degree; Trafficking in Fentanyl Related Compound, a felony of the third degree; and one count of Possession of Fentanyl Related Compound, a felony of the third degree. 

Brandon A. Campbell, 36, of Gallipolis, Ohio, one count of Theft, a felony of the fifth degree; and one count of Tampering with Evidence, a felony of the third degree. 

Michael Shane Pethtel, 55 of Gallipolis, Ohio, one count of Assault of a Peace Officer, a felony of the fourth degree. 

Nick A. Morris, 32, of Crown City, Ohio, one count of Illegal Conveyance of Drugs onto Grounds of Detention Facility or Institution, a felony of the third degree; two counts of Possession of Fentanyl Related Compound, both felonies of the fifth degree; and one count of Aggravated Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the third degree. 

Joyceann Louise Ruane, 25, of Crown City, Ohio, one count of Aggravated Murder (with gun specification), a special category felony; and one count of Having Weapons While Under Disability, a felony of the third degree. 

The cases against those indicted will proceed in the Gallia County Common Pleas Court.