The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department seized more than 158 “caps” of suspected fentanyl during a traffic stop on Thursday, August 1 and charged three individuals with drug trafficking, including one person from Paw Paw.
According to a press release from the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department, Deputy Kolb conducted a traffic stop last Thursday on WV-9 after seeing a silver Honda commit several vehicle infractions.
Deputy Kolb observed these infractions along I-81 and conducted a stop on Hedgesville Road at roughly 4:30 p.m.
According to a criminal complaint, Deputy Kolb was told by the driver that she had picked up her passengers in Berkeley Springs. The driver, later identified as Tiffany Shirley, 36, of Bunker Hill, said she preferred the officer not conduct a search of her vehicle. After issuing citations for traffic violations, police utilized K9 Hugo to scan the vehicle. He alerted on the passenger side of the vehicle.
According to police, during a search of the passengers, one person dropped a controlled substance on the ground when asked to remove his shoe. Two vials of suspected crack cocaine were also located near where that individual had been standing during the search.
He was later identified as Jack S. McFarlan, 39, of Martinsburg.
When Deputy Kolb searched the trunk of the Honda, he located a large amount of controlled substances in the spare tire compartment.
The front passenger identified herself to officers as Stephanie Saville, but later admitted her real name was Amber Whitt and she had lied to officers because there were outstanding warrants for her arrest.
Whitt, 32, is a resident of Paw Paw.
Officers identified four separate bags containing 158 pink suspected fentanyl capsules. Two individual vials of crack cocaine were also located, along with three green baggies with a controlled substance and two small clear baggies holding what is believed to be cocaine.
Deputy Kolb charged McFarlan with three counts of conspiracy to possession a controlled substance with the intent to deliver the drugs, three counts of possession with the intent to distribute.
Whitt is charged with three counts of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, three counts of possession with the intent to distribute and one count of being a fugitive from justice. Shirley was charged with three counts of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance and three counts of possession with the intent to distribute.
All three were being held at the Eastern Regional Jail to await hearings in their case.
