September indictments announced

(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.)

POMEROY, Ohio – According to Meigs County Prosecuting Attorney James K. Stanley, on September 12, 2018, the Grand Jury returned eighteen indictments, twelve of which are directly drug-related.

Drug Related Charges
Ray Cox, 39, of Cheshire, Ohio was indicted for Possession of Drugs (Cocaine), a felony of the fifth degree, Possession of Drugs (Heroin), a felony of the fifth degree, and Possession of Drugs (Fentanyl), a felony of the fifth degree. Following a report of suspected drug activity near a business in Middleport, Cox is alleged to have been in possession of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl.

Lula Harris, 40, of Pomeroy, Ohio, was indicted for Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the fifth degree, and Possession of Drugs (Heroin), a felony of the fifth degree. Harris is alleged to have been in possession of methamphetamine and heroin while a passenger in a vehicle stopped by law enforcement in Middleport.

Jerry Johnson, Jr., 59, of Racine, Ohio, was indicted for Possession of Drugs (Morphine), a felony of the fifth degree, Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the fifth degree, and Possession of Drugs (Fentanyl), a felony of the fifth degree. Johnson is alleged to have been in possession of morphine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl during a traffic stop in Pomeroy.

Joshua Kropka, 33, of Mason, West Virginia, was indicted for Possession of Drugs (Fentanyl), a felony of the fifth degree. Kropka is alleged to have possessed fentanyl following an alleged drug overdose in the restroom of a Middleport business.

Dustin Miller, 37, of Racine, Ohio, was indicted for Possession of Drugs (Heroin), a felony of the fifth degree. Miller is alleged to have been in possession of heroin during a traffic stop along State Route 7.

Jeremiah Mullins, 25, of Vinton, Ohio, was indicted for Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the fifth degree. Mullins is alleged to have been in possession of methamphetamine during a traffic stop in Pomeroy.

Emily G. Smith, 28, of Rutland, Ohio, was indicted for Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the fifth degree, Possession of Drugs (Heroin), a felony of the fifth degree, Possession of Drugs (Fentanyl), a felony of the fifth degree, and Operating a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence, a misdemeanor of the first degree. Smith is alleged to have operated her vehicle in Pomeroy while under the influence of drugs. Smith is also alleged to have been in possession of methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl at that time.

Trevor Williamson, 22, of Rutland, Ohio, was indicted for Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the fifth degree, and Possession of Drugs (Hydrocodone), a felony of the fifth degree. Williamson is alleged to have been in possession of methamphetamine and hydrocodone during a traffic stop in Middleport.

Daniel Steinmetz, 29, of Athens, Ohio, was indicted for Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the fifth degree. Steinmetz is alleged to have been in possession of methamphetamine following a traffic stop in Middleport.

Michael Stewart, 32, of Cheshire, Ohio, was indicted for Possession of Drugs (Methamphetamine), a felony of the fifth degree, and Illegal Conveyance of Drugs onto a Detention Facility, a felony of the third degree. Stewart is alleged to have been in possession of methamphetamine, which he allegedly brought into the Middleport Jail.

Assault
Robert Kauff, 38, of Pomeroy, Ohio, was indicted for two counts of felonious assault, each a felony of the second degree. Kauff is alleged to have attacked two women with deadly weapons while the women were parked in a motor vehicle near Pomeroy Pike.

Theft Related Charges
David McQuaid, 39, of Gallipolis, Ohio, was indicted for Receiving Stolen Property, a felony of the fourth degree, two counts of Operating a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence, each a felony of the third degree, and Aggravated Vehicular Assault, a felony of the third degree. McQuaid is alleged to have been in possession of a stolen vehicle, to have operated that vehicle with a prohibited amount of methamphetamine and marijuana in his system, and to have crashed that vehicle, causing serious physical harm to a passenger.

Christopher Porter, 19, of New Haven, West Virginia, was indicted for Theft, a felony of the fourth degree. Porter is alleged to have stolen a motor vehicle from the Racine area.

Michael Runyon, 30, of Athens, Ohio, was indicted for five counts of Theft, three of which are felonies of the fourth degree, one of which is a felony of the fifth degree, and one of which is a misdemeanor of the first degree. Runyon was also indicted for Receiving Stolen Property, a felony of the fourth degree, and Failure to Comply with an Order or Signal of a Police Officer, a felony of the third degree. Runyon is alleged to have stolen a Nissan Sentra and a license plate from another vehicle in Syracuse. Runyon is alleged to have been in possession of a stolen Polaris Ranger near the Reedsville area. At the same time, Runyon is alleged to have fled from law enforcement attempting to make a traffic stop. Runyon is alleged to have stolen a Honda Foreman Rubicon 500 from the Reedsville area. Runyon is alleged to have stolen items from a business in Reedsville. Runyon is alleged to have obtained a Ford Ranger from an individual in Reedsville via deception and failed to return the vehicle.

Animal Cruelty
David Mora, 67, of Syracuse, Ohio, was indicted for ten counts of Prohibitions Concerning Companion Animals, each a felony of the fifth degree, and two counts of Cruelty to Animals, each a misdemeanor of the second degree. Mora is alleged to have caused the death of a husky by depriving the dog of good, wholesome food and water. Mora is alleged to have caused serious physical harm that carried an unnecessary or unjustifiable substantial risk of death to nine dogs. Mora is alleged to have deprived two horses of necessary sustenance or to have confined the two horses without supplying them with a sufficient quantity of good wholesome food and water.

Miscellaneous Charges
Phillip Cyrus, 44 of Mason, West Virginia, was indicted for Having Weapons While Under Disability, a felony of the third degree. Cyrus is alleged to have been in possession of a firearm while under disability preventing him from possessing a firearm during a traffic stop in Middleport.

Christopher Griffin, 34, of Reedsville, Ohio, was indicted for Forgery, a felony of the fifth degree. Griffin is alleged to have forged a check belonging to another.

Tiffany Horton, 31, of Lucasville, Ohio, was indicted for Non-Support of Dependents, a felony of the fifth degree.

All cases will proceed in the Meigs County Court of Common Pleas before Judge I. Carson Crow. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

For informational purposes, possible penalties for felony offenses 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. 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.