Meigs Grand Jury returns 19 indictments

Meigs Grand Jury returns 19 indictments

(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.)

Meigs County Prosecuting Attorney James K. Stanley announces that the June and July 2021 sessions of the Meigs County Grand Jury returned nineteen indictments.  Those indicted include the following:

Chloee Beach, 22, of Columbus, Ohio, was indicted for Aggravated Arson, a felony of the second degree, and Theft, a felony of the fourth degree. The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter.

Robert Blankenship, 25, of Syracuse, Ohio, was indicted for Breaking and Entering, a felony of the fifth degree. The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter.

Brian Carr, 50, of Rutland, Ohio, was indicted for Carrying a Concealed Weapon, a felony of the fourth degree. The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter.

Matthew Eblin, 27, of Pomeroy, Ohio, was indicted for Having Weapons While Under Disability, a felony of the third degree, and Improperly Handling Firearms in a Motor Vehicle. The Middleport Police Department investigated this matter.

Eric Feathers, 31, of Wilkesville, Ohio, was indicted for Failure to Notify Change of Address, a felony of the fourth degree. The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter.

Thomas Glover, 62, of Racine, Ohio, was indicted for Tampering with Evidence, a felony of the third degree. The Ohio State Highway Patrol investigated this matter.

Kevan Hatfield, 53, of Athens, Ohio, was indicted for Failure to Notify Change of Address, a felony of the first degree. The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter.

Jaquan Hall, 21, of Charleston, West Virginia, was indicted for Aggravated Murder, an unclassified felony, Murder, an unclassified felony, Complicity, an unclassified felony, and Conspiracy, a felony of the first degree.  The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio BCI, Middleport Police Department, Pomeroy Police Department, Mason County Sheriff’s Office, West Virginia State Police, Charleston Police Department, Maryland Transit Authority, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, and the United States Marshals Service investigated or assisted in the investigation of this matter or in the apprehension of the defendant. 

Lance Herman, 57, of Middleport, Ohio, was indicted for Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the fifth degree. The Ohio State Highway Patrol investigated this matter.

Dean Hill, 60, of Racine, Ohio, was indicted for Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the fifth degree. The Ohio State Highway Patrol investigated this matter.

Bridget Kelly, 59, of Racine, was indicted for Improperly Handling Firearms in a Motor Vehicle, a felony of the fifth degree. The Ohio State Highway Patrol investigated this matter.

Joseph Lemaster, 45, of Long Bottom, Ohio, was indicted for Arson, a felony of the fourth degree, and Domestic Violence, a misdemeanor of the first degree. The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter.

Luke Lowery, 32, of Pomeroy, Ohio, was indicted for fifty-two counts of Pandering Obscenity Involving a Minor, each a felony of the fourth degree. The United States Department of Homeland Security; the Meigs County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; the Meigs County Department of Job & Family Services, Children Services; and the Pomeroy Police Department investigated this matter.

Joshua Rathburn, 35, of Pomeroy, Ohio, was indicted for Failure to Comply with an Order or Signal of a Police Officer, a felony of the third degree. The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter.

Andrea Smith, 47, of Racine, Ohio, was indicted for Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the fifth degree, Possession of Drugs (Alprazolam), a misdemeanor of the first degree, and Possession of Drugs (Buprenorphine), a misdemeanor of the first degree. The Ohio State Highway Patrol investigated this matter.

Anthony Stewart, 36, of Middleport, Ohio, was indicted for Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the fifth degree. The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter.

Ryan Stone, 35, of Middleport, Ohio, was indicted for Failure to Comply with an Order or Signal of a Police Officer, a felony of the third degree. The Middleport Police Department investigated this matter.

Samuel Stout, 37, of Mason, West Virginia, was indicted for Burglary, a felony of the second degree.  The Middleport Police Department investigated this matter.

Shannon Walker, 25, of Middleport, was indicted for Domestic Violence, a felony of the fifth degree.  The Meigs County Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter.

All cases will proceed in Meigs County Court of Common Pleas.

For informational purposes, possible penalties for felony offenses committed before March 22, 2019 include: felonies of the first degree- 3-11 years in prison and up to a $20,000 fine; felonies of the second degree- 2-8 years in prison and up to a $15,000 fine; felonies of the third degree- 9-36 months in prison and up to a $10,000 fine; felonies of the fourth degree- 6-18 months in prison and up to a $5,000 fine; felonies of the fifth degree- 6-12 months in prison and up to a $2,500 fine.  Possible penalties for first and second degree felonies committed on or after March 22, 2019 include: felonies of the first degree- a minimum sentence of 3-11 years in prison with an indefinite maximum sentence of up to 16.5 years in prison and up to a $20,000 fine; felonies of the second degree- a minimum sentence of 2-8 years in prison with an indefinite maximum sentence of up to 12 years in prison and up to a $15,000 fine.  For most felonies of the fourth and fifth degrees, sentencing guidelines found in the Ohio Revised Code require first-time offenders to be sentenced to community control unless certain conditions exist permitting the imposition of a prison sentence.