The Morgan County Grand Jury indicted 14 individuals when they met for the spring term last Tuesday, April 16.
Charges ranged from financial exploitation to felony drug dealing and domestic assault.
Those who were indicted will be arraigned in Morgan County Circuit, where they’ll enter a plea of guilt or innocence, and further hearings will be set in those cases.
Among those indicted was Skylor F. Banks, 36, of Jacksonville, Fla. Banks was indicted for first-degree attempted murder, domestic assault, two counts of obstructing a law enforcement officer and battery on a law enforcement officer, all in March of 2023.
Banks is accused of attempting to kill an adult victim, of swinging a machete and threatening to kill that person, refusing to follow the commands of the officers who responded to the incident, grabbing and refusing to release a duty shotgun belonging to a Sheriff’s deputy and kicking, hitting and spitting on that deputy.
Domestic battery, assault
Jon R. Adelman, 52, of Akron, Ohio was indicted on one count of domestic battery, third offense. He is accused of chasing and shoving the victim in the Sheetz parking lot and store in Berkeley Springs in January of this year. Adelman was previously convicted of domestic battery in Portage County, Ohio in 2020 and in Canton County, Ohio in 2013.
Child neglect
Aaron J. Smith, 30, of Kitzmiller, Md. was indicted on three counts of gross child neglect creating a risk of death or serious bodily injury and two counts of unlawful discharge of a firearm. Smith is accused of driving with a minor child in the vehicle while he was in an impaired state three times in July of 2023 and of driving that child to a party with a firearm after he had had a confrontation with individuals at the party. Smith is also accused of shooting his firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling on two occasions.
Drug dealing
Trista L. Courtney, 35, of Great Cacapon was indicted for possession of fentanyl with the intent to deliver it and conspiring with George Justice to deliver the drug, both in April of 2022. She is accused of having 44 capsules of “scramble” – a heroin and fentanyl mix – at her residence and running a drug trade. Police located drug ledgers and $400 cash in her residence.
George H. Justice, 47, of Great Cacapon was indicted for possession of fentanyl with the intent to deliver it and conspiring with Trista Courtney to deliver the drug, both in April of 2022.
Theft, financial exploitation
Logan C. Heironimus, 27, of Stephens City, Va. was indicted for grand larceny and financial exploitation of an elderly person. He is accused of stealing a vehicle in March of 2023 from a family member, and of taking more than $1,000 from that older family member for his own use between March and December of 2023.
Jasson R. Howard, 26, of Berkeley Springs was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of stolen property and fleeing on foot. Howard is accused of having an AR-style rifle in his possession in February of 2024 when officers went looking for him for a parole violation. He is also accused of being in possession of a generator that had been stolen from a nearby residence.
Kyle Y. VanDyke, 38, of Great Cacapon was indicted for burglary. He is accused of entering a residence with the intent to commit assault and battery in February of this year.
DUI & driving revoked
Robert W. Derr, 28, of Martinsburg was indicted for fleeing from law enforcement while under the influence of alcohol and aggravated DUI. Derr is accused of committing the crimes in October of 2023.
Paul A. Jacobs, 48, of Kearneysville was indicted for driving revoked for DUI, third offense; driving under the influence of alcohol and having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle, all in October 2023. Jacobs was previously convicted of driving on a license that was revoked for DUI in 2012 and 2010 in Berkeley County. Jacobs is accused of driving on Route 9, cutting people off and flashing a beer can while driving.
Joseph A. Kerr, 37, of Hedgesville was indicted for driving while his license was revoked for DUI, third offense. Kerr is accused of committing the crime in December of 2023. He was previously convicted of driving on a license that was revoked for DUI in March of 2023 and October of 2022, both times in Morgan County.
Michael B. Smith, 49, of Berkeley Springs was indicted for driving while his license was revoked for DUI, third offense. Smith is accused of the crime in March of 2024. He was previously convicted of driving on a license that was revoked for DUI in 2002 in Preston County and in 2006 in Berkeley County.
Other crimes
Benny M. King, 59, of Paw Paw was indicted for failing to update the information on his sex offender registry between August and December of 2023, particularly about the vehicle he was driving.
Abigail M. Turley, 20, of Winchester, Va. was indicted for fleeing from law enforcement in a vehicle resulting in injury. Turley is accused of fleeing from an officer and causing a wreck that injured an individual in September 2023.
