Members of the Morgan County Grand Jury last Tuesday returned criminal indictments against 17 individuals on felony and misdemeanor charges, ranging from financial fraud to firearms charges and child neglect.
Wanton endangerment & battery
Jeremy R. Dudley, 37, of Lusby, Md., was indicted for wanton endangerment, three counts of grand larceny, four counts of conspiracy with Victoria Omps, burglary and fleeing on foot – all associated with thefts in Great Cacapon and flight from police in June of 2022. Dudley and Omps, 31, are accused of scheming to steal a golf cart, a pickup truck, five guns and cash from homes west of Great Cacapon and of fleeing when police came in pursuit. Dudley is also accused of waving a firearm at one of the victims.
Andrew D. Rodgers, 23, of Berkeley Springs was indicted on two counts of wanton endangerment, domestic battery and discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, all in August of 2023. Rodgers is accused of pointing a firearm at a member of his household, and of walking towards Cpl. Hedrick with a firearm while intoxicated and suddenly firing into the woods. He is also accused of grabbing a family member and shoving them into a door.
Daniel A. Virts, 32. of Berkeley Springs was indicted for domestic battery, third offense. Virts is accused of pushing feces into the face of a four-year-old family member in June of this year. Virts was previously convicted of assault and battery of a family member in 2015 and in 2017 in Frederick County, Va.
Theft & fraud
Natasha L. Crouse, 26, of Berkeley Springs was indicted for fraudulent schemes and forgery. She is accused, along with Richard Smith, of selling a mobile home that didn’t belong to them in December of 2022 and forging sale documents associated with the transaction. Richard D. Smith, 23, of Berkeley Springs was indicted for fraudulent schemes and forgery.
Melissa K. Lutman, 40, of Eight Mile, Alabama was indicted for fraudulently obtaining welfare assistance. Lutman is accused of receiving $8,965 in SNAP benefits between July 2018 and January 2020 by withholding information about her household income.
DUI & Drug charges
Paul D. Keddington, Jr., 60, of Green Spring, was indicted for driving while his license was revoked for DUI, third offense, driving under the influence of a controlled substance and possession of fentanyl. Keddington is accused of committing the driving and drug crimes in June of 2023.
Brendan J. Gleason, 31, of Greencastle, Pa. was indicted for driving while his license was revoked for DUI, third offense, and speeding. Gleason is accused of committing the offense in January of 2023. He has previously been convicted of driving on a license that was revoked for DUI in March of 2023 in York County, Pa. and in April of 2019 in Dauphin County, Pa.
John E. Richards, 52, of Berkeley Springs was indicted for DUI third offense, driving while his license was revoked for DUI and domestic battery. Richards is accused of driving in an impaired state in June 2023, driving on a suspended license, having an open alcoholic container in a vehicle and striking a victim. Richards was previously convicted of DUI in May 2018 and in January 2023 in Morgan County.
Kimberly A. Stotler, 35, of Paw Paw was indicted for driving while her license was revoked for DUI, third offense and having no motor vehicle inspection, both in January of this year. Stotler was previously convicted of driving while her license was revoked for DUI in 2022 in Berkeley County and in March of 2023 in Berkeley County.
Brandee Youngblood, 43, of Berkeley Springs was indicted for driving while her license was revoked for DUI, third offense. She is accused of committing the crime in June of this year. Youngblood was previously convicted of driving while her license was revoked for DUI in 2011 in Berkeley County and in 2018 in Morgan County.
Child neglect
Amy Y . Keefer, 29, of Berkeley Springs was indicted for gross child neglect creating the risk of death or serious bodily injury, driving under the influence of a controlled substance, possession of cocaine, possession of fentanyl and possession of suboxone. Keefer is accused, along with Anthony MacCumbee, Jr., 38, of endangering a child under the age of two by driving the child in a vehicle while under the influence of cocaine and fentanyl in April of this year.
David J. Sikes, 28, of Martinsburg was indicted for gross child neglect creating the risk of death or serious bodily injury and driving under the influence of a controlled substance, in May 2023. Sikes is accused of driving a vehicle while under the influence with a six-year-old in the vehicle, and of exposing the child to fentanyl and other controlled substances in the vehicle.
Arson & sex offender registry
Brett W . Dick, 22, of Capon Bridge was indicted for arson-land. He is accused last month of setting fire to a wooded area in Paw Paw.
James R. Yost, 47, of Berkeley Springs was indicted on 15 counts of failure to update his sex offender registry. He is accused of failing to report two Facebook profile accounts with the West Virginia State Police between January 2018 and February of this year. Yost is a lifetime sex offender and must report his social media accounts to police along with other information. Yost is also accused of failing to report a total of 12 dating website profile accounts, and of failing to report a change in his Cricket wireless cell phone account during January and February of this year.
Those indicted by the Grand Jury will enter pleas of innocence or guilt during arraignments later this month. At that time, the Morgan County Circuit Court will set further hearings in those cases.
