22 people indicted by January Grand Jury

Twenty-two people were indicted by the Morgan County Grand Jury on Tuesday, January 4 for crimes including attempted murder, rape, burglary and fraud.

Those indicted will be arraigned before Circuit Judge Gina Groh on Tuesday, January 18. At that time, they will enter pleas and have trial dates set.

Attempted murder
Robert A. Gretsinger, 58, of Berkeley Springs was indicted for attempting to murder and for maliciously assaulting Carrie Lowe in September. He is accused of shooting Lowe and hitting her in head with a bat during an argument.

Gretsinger is currently in the Eastern Regional Jail.

Ulysses J. Everett, Jr., 51, of Fairview Drive, Berkeley Springs, was indicted for wanton endangerment, domestic battery, domestic assault and obstructing an officer.

The charges stem from an October 6 incident in which Everett allegedly shot at his wife during a dispute.

A deputy sheriff responding to the call eventually shot and wounded Everett, who reportedly refused to let the officer in the house or show that he was not armed.

Everett is free on $10,000 bond.

Rape of teenager
Richard J. Cox, 23, was indicted for both second and third degree sexual assault. He is accused of forcibly raping a 14-year-old girl in October. Cox is free on $10,000 bond.

Burglaries & thefts
Jan M. Sauter, 24, of Ashton Drive, Falling Waters, was indicted for robbery, burglary, petit larceny and brandishing a weapon. Sauter allegedly broke into a home, brandished a handgun and stole prescription medicines.

Curtis P. Palmer, 34, of David Lane, Frederick, Md. was indicted for breaking and entering, grand larceny and destruction of property.

Palmer is accused of breaking into Reed’s Pharmacy in September and stealing prescription medications. More than $2,500 damage was also done to the drive-through window during the break-in. He is free on $30,000 bond.

Jeffrey S. Simmons, Jr., 19, of Quaint Acres Lane, Berkeley Springs, was indicted for burglary, grand larceny, destruction of property and conspiracy to commit the crime.

Simmons allegedly broke into a home by breaking a window in October and stole guns.

James D. Harmon, Jr., 21, of Highland Ridge Road, Berkeley Springs, was indicted for burglary, grand larceny and destruction of property.

Harmon is accused of breaking into a home in September, stealing various goods and destroying household items. He is free on $5,000 bond.

Jonathon R. Cain, 28, was indicted for burglary and grand larceny. He is accused of stealing rings and other jewelry from a home in December. Cain is in jail in lieu of $5,000 bond.

Ryan Allen Weber, 33, was indicted for burglary and petit larceny in connection with the break-in of a home and theft of tools in October. Weber is presently in the Eastern Regional Jail.

Ronald L. Fishel, 44, of Concord Street, Hagerstown, was indicted for grand larceny. He is accused of stealing $1,530 worth of items – a carport, picnic table and tool boxes -- from a Paw Paw home in June, 2009. He is free on $2,000 personal recognizance bond.

Jason N. Ennis, 26, of Martinsburg was indicted for grand larceny in the alleged theft of rings, coins and cash last June.

Drug offenses
Michael L. Day, 27, of Peer Lane, Berkeley Springs, was indicted for delivery of heroin and delivery of oxymorphine in separate incidents in October. He is free on $20,000 bond.

Daniel J. Rogg, 57, of Ridgemere Court, Richmond, Va. was indicted for possession of oxymorphine with intent to deliver in November, 2009. He is free on $10,000 bond.

Forgery & fraud
Dillion L. Munson, 18, of Rising Sun Lane, Hedgesville, was indicted for two counts of forgery, two counts of uttering, and petit larceny. He is accused of stealing checks from Earth Dog Cafe, then forging and passing two of the checks, totaling $400, in December. He is free on $2,000 bond.

Elizabeth A. Poole, 33, of Butts Mill Road, Hedgesville, was indicted for embezzlement and possession of an unauthorized access device with intent to defraud. She is accused of misusing a credit card belonging to someone else in October and November, 2010.

Keith W. DeBlasio of Candlewood Lane, Great Cacapon, was indicted on the misdemeanor charge of filing a false report with the West Virginia Secretary of State’s office last July. He allegedly claimed to be president of Cold Spring Forest Section I Home Owners Association. He is free on $2,500 personal recognizance bond.

Traffic offenses
Michael Dean Watkins, 25, of Fairview Drive, Hancock, Md. was indicted for causing injury while fleeing from police in a vehicle, petit larceny of beer, fleeing on foot, driving while his license was suspended (second offense), speeding and conspiracy.

The charges all stem from an October 11 incident. Watkins is free on $50,000 bond.

Dale O. Hitchcock, Jr., 37, of Squirrel Drive, Hedgesville, was indicted for driving under the influence of alcoholic beverages (third offense), driving while his license was suspended (fourth offense) and having no insurance and improper registration.

The charges arose from a November 24 incident. Hitchcock is free on $2,500 bond.

Todd E. Ruffner, 46, of Timber Ridge Road, Berkeley Springs, was indicted for driving under the influence of alcoholic beverages (third offense), driving while his license was revoked for DUI, driving left of center and having no insurance.

The charges all came out of an October 16 incident. Ruffner is free on $5,000 bond.

No show for court
Three people were indicted for failing to appear for court hearings about criminal cases in which they had previously been indicted.

Charged with failure to appear, a felony, were:
--Michael J. Burton, Sr., 34.
--Joshua S. Schlothauer, 25.
--Hope E. Twigg, 37.
All three are presently in the Eastern Regional Jail.