During recent court proceedings in Morgan County Circuit Court, several criminal cases were resolved through plea changes, trials and status updates. 
In June, Skylor F. Banks, 37, of Jacksonville, Fla. was sentenced to six months in jail for domestic assault, one year in prison for obstruction and one year for battery of a law enforcement officer, relating to an incident in March of 2024 in which Banks threatened a victim with a machete and refused to comply with officers responding. All jail time was suspended by the judge for three years of unsupervised probation and Banks will complete the Raleigh County Veterans Treatment Court Program as part of the resolution of the case.
Bayliss M. Green Jr., 63, of Martinsburg pled no contest to DUI third offense and to the misdemeanor of driving while his license was revoked for DUI, first offense, relating to an incident here in May of 2024. Green was sentenced on July 17 to 2-5 years in prison for the DUI third offense conviction and 30 days for DUI 1st misdemeanor. The prison term will be served on home confinement.
Michael Patrick McKinley, 38, was sentenced in March to a lengthy prison term after the court found him guilty of being a repeat offender of violent crimes.
McKinley had, in March of 2018, been convicted in Berkeley County court of child neglect causing death in the killing of an infant child. In May of 2024, after having been released from prison, McKinley fled from police during a probation check. Officers later determined in a search of McKinley’s place of residence that he had downloaded more than 600 images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In February of this year, McKinley pled guilty to attempting to escape police by running from probation officers, and to possession of the pornographic materials. McKinley also pled guilty to be a recidivist – a repeat criminal offender – meaning criminal penalties against him would be increased for any further felony convictions. McKinley was then sentenced to five years in prison for fleeing officers on foot, 10-15 years for possession of the digital images showing minors and one year for obstructing an officer. The sentences will run back to back. Upon release from prison, McKinley will serve 50 years of supervised release. All electronic devices seized from McKinley will be destroyed.
Todderick Roberson, 51, of Stafford, Va. pled guilty in June to obtaining property in return for a worthless check, a felony. He was sentenced on June 27 to 1-10 years in prison for the crime. Prison time was suspended for two years supervised probation. Roberson paid $3,000 in restitution to Ridersville Cycle for the two generators he obtained with the fraudulent checks, and he will pay a remaining $2,300 during his probation.
Danielle Ahern, 38, of Paw Paw pled guilty to gross child neglect creating a risk of death of serious bodily injury felony and pled guilty under an Alford plea to animal cruelty, a misdemeanor, both related to an incident in 2024 in which police found her child and animals living in “extremely deplorable” conditions. Ahern was sentenced to 1-5 years in prison on the child abuse charge, and sentenced to six months in the regional jail for animal cruelty charge. Once out of prison. Ahern will serve an additional six years of extended supervised release. She is also prohibited from possessing, owning or living with any animal for five years after her release.
Thomas C. Davis, 67, pled no contest to domestic battery third offense, in connection with an incident in October 2024. Davis was previous convicted of domestic battery in July of 2024 and October of 2008, both in Morgan County. In May of this year, Davis was sentenced by the Circuit Court to 1-5 years in prison, to be served consecutive to Magistrate Court sentence in a separate case. Davis’ attorney’s motion for him to serve the sentence on home confinement was denied.
A Morgan County jury on July 8 found Jay Buterbaugh guilty of several criminal counts stemming from his resistance to letting police officers enter his Berkeley Springs home. The jury found Buterbaugh guilty of obstructing an officer on January 16, 2025, guilty of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, guilty of obstructing an officer on April 13 and again on April 18. The jury’s guilty verdict followed a two-day trial in Morgan County Circuit Court. The jury deliberated for roughly an hour.
Buterbaugh in January stopped first responders from entering his Wilkes Street home after a passing postal employee reported to 911 that the house was on fire. Units from around the area responded to the fire, which resulted in significant damage to the house. Police charged Buterbaugh with obstruction for that incident. In April when police tried to serve an arrest warrant, Buterbaugh barricaded himself in his residence. Deputies called in the Berkeley County SWAT team to assist and he refused to surrender. The SWAT team fired chemical agents and flash bangs into the residence after which Buterbaugh surrendered and was taken into custody. He will be sentenced in September for the criminal charges.
