CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (AP) - Eight northern West Virginia residents have been indicted on charges that they staged vehicle accidents in order to file false insurance claims.

Prosecutors say the eight were indicted Tuesday on mail fraud charges in federal court in Clarksburg.

According to the indictment, the group conspired to file insurance claims totaling about $250,000 for staged accidents in Harrison, Marion and Taylor counties from 2012 to 2014.

Four of the defendants are Fairmont residents and three are from Clarksburg. One lives in Morgantown.

Two Boone County Schools employees have been charged with stealing at least $20,000 from the county board of education. Transportation director Bryan Jarrell and mechanic Tracy Harvey turned themselves in to West Virginia State Police on Wednesday afternoon, said Sgt. C.R. Sutphin, of the WVSP Madison detachment.

Jarrell and Harvey are charged with embezzlement and obtaining by fraud for allegedly making personal purchases with money from the county's transportation department budget, Sutphin said.

They allegedly made more than $20,000 in purchases, he said.

"And that number is probably going to go up," Sutphin said.

Wednesday afternoon Sutphin said troopers were preparing to take Jarrell and Harvey to Boone County Magistrate Court for arraignment.

State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey filed a petition Wednesday with the state Supreme Court, asking the court to overturn a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of the state's right-to-work law.

Kanawha Circuit Judge Jennifer Bailey issued the injunction last August, as part of an ongoing challenge of the new law by the West Virginia AFL-CIO and numerous other unions. Those unions contend the law, passed last year, represents an unconstitutional taking of union resources, since unions would be required to represent employees in union shops who opt not to pay union dues under the law.

In the petition to the court, the attorney general's office argues that the injunction has caused "irreparable harm to the state, and sowed confusion among employees, unions, and employers who lack clarity as to how to lawfully negotiate collective bargaining agreements while these proceedings continue."

"The negative impact caused by this injunction demands immediate relief," Morrisey said in a statement. "I urge the Supreme Court to consider our arguments and reach an expedited decision so as to eliminate confusion and mitigate damage to our state."

In response, state AFL-CIO President Josh Sword said West Virginia operated as a state for more than 150 years without a right-to-work law.

"Now, suddenly there's irreparable harm to the citizens of the state? Give me a break," he said.

Sword said he was not surprised by Morrisey's petition to overturn the injunction.

"We knew it was ultimately going to end up at the state Supreme Court," Sword said of the unions' challenge of the law. "It doesn't matter to us whether it happens sooner or later, we're prepared for our day in court."

Under the law, employees in union shops could not be compelled to pay union dues.

In granting the preliminary injunction, Bailey said the law could present financial harm to labor unions, since workers would be "seriously discouraged" from joining.

"Why, the employee would ask, should I pay for something the law requires be made available to me for nothing?" Bailey stated in her order, noting the law could "seriously burden a union's ability to recruit and retain members."

In the petition to the Supreme Court, the attorney general argues that the duty of fair representation is in federal law, not state law.

While the primary argument in the union's challenge is that the law amounts to an illegal taking of union resources, the suit also challenges unclear language in the new right-to-work law that seems to exempt building and construction trades unions, as well as language in the definitions section of the law that could be interpreted as limiting it to public employees unions.

On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee advanced a bill to correct those portions of the law (SB330), after removing a provision in the original draft of the bill that would have made the changes effective retroactively to July 1, 2016.

Reach Phil Kabler at philk@wvgazettemail.com, 304 348-1220, or follow @PhilKabler on Twitter.

The Lincoln County woman who allegedly crashed her car on Interstate 64 in Cabell County, killing two of her children and injuring a third child, will face an additional charge related to that child's injuries, police say.

Sierra Burgess, 26, of Branchland, allegedly crossed a median, hit a truck, and collided with a tractor-trailer on Friday night, near the Milton exit of Interstate 64. Skylor Cooper, 3, and Sarah Cooper, 1, died in the crash. Burgess previously was charged with DUI causing death in relation to the crash.

Milton police Chief Joe Parsons said that on Tuesday, police obtained a warrant to also charge Burgess with DUI causing injury. Burgess and her 7-year-old daughter, Madilyn Burgess, both were injured.

Parsons said both remained at an area hospital as of Tuesday evening.

Michael Thornsbury, the longtime Mingo County circuit judge sentenced to federal prison in 2014, is no longer scheduled to be released early because of his participation in a drug abuse program.

Last June, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons website last June showed Thornsbury set to be released on March 15, 2017 -- a year earlier than his original sentence called for.

Thornsbury, 60, successfully completed the Residential Drug Abuse Treatment Program offered through the federal BOP, the secretary for the warden of FCI Pensacola in Florida told the Gazette-Mail last June. Inmates who successfully complete the program can get up to a year shaved off their sentence, according to federal law.

Thornsbury had also, for a time last year, believed he would be released in October 2016 to a halfway house, the prisons website previously showed. Prisoners often make that move about six months before their sentences are up.

A search of the BOP website Wednesday reflected the original prison sentence of more than four years, handed down in June 2014 by U.S. District Judge Thomas Johnson. Thornsbury is now set to be released on March 15, 2018.

Johnston handed down the sentence after Thornsbury admitted to conspiring to deprive a man of his constitutional rights to protect a political ally. The 4th U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the sentence in May 2015.

Thornsbury, who resigned in 2013 after serving 17 years as Mingo County's only circuit judge, voluntarily surrendered to the federal correctional institute in Pensacola, Florida, on July 28, 2014, according to court documents.

To qualify for the drug abuse program, prisoners must have a documented and verifiable substance abuse disorder consistent with the American Psychiatric Association, among other requirements, according to information on the BOP website.

In addition to the prison term, Thornsbury was sentenced to three years of supervised release. Normally, while on supervised release, defendants are subject to periodic drug screenings. But Johnson suspended the drug testing requirements for the former judge because, "based on the court's determination," Thornsbury "poses a low risk of future substance abuse," Johnston's sentencing documents state.

The U.S. Department of Justice last year sent letters to the people it considers Thornsbury's victims notifying them of an early release from prison. Thornsbury had been set to attend a community corrections program in Lexington, Kentucky.

There are only a few ways a federal inmate can qualify for early release. Besides completion of the drug program, prisoners could have a shorter sentence recommended by federal prosecutors, according to federal law. Federal inmates can sometimes qualify to be released early based on good behavior, but only after they have served roughly 85 percent of their sentence.

Reach Kate White at kate.white@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1723 or follow @KateLWhite on Twitter.

Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney Charles Miller announced a Kanawha grand jury on Friday returned indictments against 76 defendants.

An indictment is not a finding of fact; it means only that enough evidence exists to warrant a jury trial.

The following are judges and arraignment dates and times:

Judge Jennifer Bailey, April 12, 9:30 a.m.

Joseph William Estep, 43, of Nitro, terroristic threats, drug charges and prohibited person from possession a firearm; James Dewayne Hamilton, 63, of Charleston, obtaining by false pretense and forgery and uttering; Jackie S. Harper, 23, drug charges; Angela Marie Johnson, 41, of Cross Lanes, drug charges; Stephanie K. Medford, 36, of Charleston, drug charges; Trista D. Sutherland, 31, of St. Albans, drug charges and person prohibited from possessing a firearm; Bert H. Tackett Jr., 51, of Smithers, conspiracy and drug charges; Frank Triesch Jr., 30, of Charleston, attempted murder and malicious wounding.

Judge Charles King, March 13, 1:30 p.m.

Lexus M. Armbrester, 23, conspiracy and drug charges; Vincent Caleb Britton, 53, of Charleston, burglary, grand larceny and obtaining by false pretense; Cameron M. Chinn, 26, of Nitro, conspiracy and drug charges; Brittany Ann Cross, 54, of Nitro, conspiracy and drug charges; David L. Engle, 42, of Nitro, second and subsequent offense failure to register as a sex offender; Jonathan L. Hardman, 40, of Charleston, drug charges and forgery and uttering; Timothy Stephen Harris, 34, of Nitro, third and subsequent offense domestic battery, fleeing and third and subsequent offense domestic assault/battery, fleeing; Amber N. Hively, 33, of Dunbar, conspiracy and drug charges; James B. Huffman, 41, of Sumerco, drug charges and person prohibited from possessing a firearm; Robert L. Hunter, 28, of Charleston, conspiracy and drug charges; Nikki A. Turnage, 27, of Charleston, conspiracy and drug charges; Robert Michael Martin, age unknown, Charleston, embezzlement by a fiduciary; Randy Wallun Ng, 29, of South Charleston, first-degree robbery and third offense driving while license revoked for DUI; Chelsea Lynn Halstead, 23, of Tornado, first-degree robbery; Chad Everett Sands, 38, of St. Albans, grand larceny and possession of a stolen vehicle; Joseph Keith Sneed, 22, of Charleston, grand larceny and possession of stolen vehicle; Patrick William Stewart, 37, of South Charleston, conspiracy and drug charges; Amanda Danielle Hayes, 32, of Charleston, conspiracy and drug charges; Charles Eugene Thaxton, 41, of Charleston, third offense driving while license revoked for DUI and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Judge Duke Bloom, March 8, 8:30 a.m.

Brandon Anderson, 25, of Detroit, conspiracy and drug charges; William J. Blevins, 48, of Flint, Michigan, conspiracy and drug charges; Zachary Robert Fisher, 37, of Charleston, malicious wounding; David Freeman, 33, of Charleston, solicitation of a minor via computer, possession of child porn; Daniel E. Ganoe, 22, conspiracy and drug charges; Alexander Gigach, 51, of Cedar Grove, malicious wounding and domestic battery; Brian Keith Hanna, 57, of Charleston, burglary and grand larceny; Henon Wesley Snodgrass, 29, of Nitro, burglary and grand larceny; Tammy L. Hilton, 45, of Charleston, forgery and uttering and fraud and related activity in connection with an access device; Earl R. Hill, 63, conspiracy and drug charges; Michael Keith Legg, 42, of Charleston, burglary, battery and destruction of property; Amber Jo Mullins, 33, of Elkview, conspiracy and drug charges; Terrence L. Ramsey, 31, of Charleston, conspiracy and drug charges; Christopher Lee Rose Jr., 31, of Charleston, burglary; Tanner Andrew Ewing, 19, of Beckley, burglary; Krystal Suzann Rose, 37, burglary; Cammi Leann Watson, 33, of Cross Lanes, forged prescription; Donald Anthony White, 48, of Charleston, burglary and wanton endangerment.

Judge Tod Kaufman, March 13, 11 a.m.

Dennis Wesley Childress, 35, of Charleston, burglary and third and subsequent offense domestic battery; Shannon Dawayne Clements, 38, of Charleston, strangulation, first-degree robbery, fleeing in vehicle from police while DUI and fleeing in vehicle while DUI and fleeing in vehicle from police with indifference or safety laws; John Wesley Coiner, 31, of Charleston, possession of a stolen vehicle; William Edward Creathers, 51, of Cedar Grove, fraud and related activity in connection with an access device; Steven Ulah Hammon, 37, of Poca, escape; Herman Lee James Jr., 43, of St. Albans, conspiracy and drug charges; Roger Lee Province, 64, of South Charleston, failure to register as sex offender; Janelle Rush, 22, of Charleston, conspiracy, drug charges, domestic battery; David Ware, 46, of Cowen, sexual abuse by a parent guardian custodian or person in position of trust and displaying obscene material to a minor.

Judge James Stucky, March 17, 10 a.m.

Christopher D. Bennett, 35, of Elkview, grand larceny and burglary; Michael Everette Chesney Jr., 52, of Charleston, breaking and entering, grand larceny, and destruction of property; Robert Coffman, 34, of St. Albans, fraud and related activity in connection with an access device; Erin Bays, 33, of South Charleston, fraud and related activity in connection with an access device; Chad Allen Jones, 28, of Charleston, conspiracy and drug charges; Jessica Lee Mask, 33, of St. Albans, conspiracy and drug charges; Alexander Cho Smith, 31, of Charleston, wanton endangerment and person prohibited from possessing a firearm; Anthony Michael Thorne, 40, of Charleston, conspiracy, grand larceny and drug charges; Shannon Lee Winrow, 39, of Charleston, third and subsequent offense shoplifting.

Judge Joanna Tabit, March 17, 9:30 a.m.

James David Carr, 68, of Charleston, failure to register as sex offender; Marshall Ian Clark, 24, attempted murder, malicious wounding and wanton endangerment; Devon Parnell Coles, 24, of Charleston, burglary and first-degree robbery; Tony Wayne Redman, 43, of Charleston, burglary and first-degree robbery; Karl Darius Hughes, 25, of Charleston, burglary, domestic assault, brandishing and fleeing; Thomas Raymond Lizotte, 58, of Dunbar, conspiracy and drug charges.

Judge Carrie L. Webster, March 20, 10:30 a.m.

Louis C. Anderson, 34, of Cincinnati, conspiracy and drug charges; Chad Aaron Day, 28, of Charleston, attempted breaking and entering; Kristina Renea Griggs, 39, of Marmet, possession of stolen vehicle; Albert Leon Kidd Jr., 42, of St. Albans, fraud and related activity in connection with an access device; Nicholas Andrew Lilly, 36, of Charleston, malicious wounding and burglary; Thomas Edward Oxley Jr., 37, of Charleston, escape; Juan J. Rose, 37, of Charleston, conspiracy, drug charges, prohibited person from having a firearm.

JEFFERSON, Md. (AP) - West Virginia officials say a correctional officer has been suspended without pay after Maryland State Police say he shot another man during a road rage incident.

Media outlets reported Wednesday that the West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety says the correctional officer has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the investigation. Police say no one has been charged at this time.

Police say two men driving on U.S. Route 340 near Jefferson on Tuesday got into an argument, pulled over and got out. As they argued, police say a 26-year-old Martinsburg, West Virginia, man, shot the other man, a 52-year-old from Sharpsburg, in the thigh and foot. Police say the wounded man was flown to a Baltimore hospital, but his injuries aren't considered life-threatening.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - The youngest son of U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, who was Hillary Clinton's running mate last year, was one of six people arrested while protesting against a rally in support of President Donald Trump at the Minnesota state Capitol building last weekend.

The protesters clashed with hundreds of Trump supporters who gathered at the Capitol rotunda in St. Paul on Saturday for one of several pro-Trump rallies held throughout the country.

Linwood "Woody" Kaine, of Minneapolis, and four other people were suspected of lighting a smoke bomb inside the Capitol, St. Paul police spokesman Steve Linders said Wednesday. He said he didn't know the circumstances surrounding the sixth arrest, which was made by state troopers.

Kaine, 24, ran from the scene and was arrested about a block away after he resisted arrest, was sprayed with a chemical irritant and was taken to the ground, according to police. Kaine was booked into the Ramsey County Jail on a recommended second-degree riot charge.

The Ramsey County Attorney's Office declined to file criminal charges, finding insufficient evidence to substantiate the charge, spokesman Dennis Gerhardstein said Wednesday. The St. Paul City Attorney's Office was reviewing the case and didn't immediately reply to a message seeking comment.

Tim Kaine, a St. Paul native who is now a senator representing Virginia, and his wife, Anne Holton, released a statement following their son's arrest.

"We love that our three children have their own views and concerns about current political issues. They fully understand the responsibility to express those concerns peacefully," they said.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. (AP) - A West Virginia woman has been charged with setting a fire that killed her two young sons at their mobile home.

Media outlets report 29-year-old Molly Jo Delgado of Falling Waters was arrested Wednesday.

Assistant State Fire Marshal George Harms said in a criminal complaint that Delgado confessed to setting her children's beds on fire as her husband slept and leaving the home on Jan. 24. Delgado's husband opened a kitchen window and called for help. The boys ages 3 and 5 were pronounced dead at the scene.

Delgado was held in the Eastern Regional Jail on Thursday on two counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree arson. Jail records didn't indicate whether she has an attorney who could comment on the charges.

The Kanawha County Commission filed a lawsuit against 16 prescription drug distributors Thursday, alleging the firms shipped an "endless supply" of pain pills to the county while making billions of dollars.

The companies -- which include retail chains like Wal-Mart, Rite Aid, CVS, Kroger and Walgreens, along with drug giants McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen -- distributed 66 million prescription opioids to Kanawha County between 2007 and 2012, according to the lawsuit.

"They're drug dealers," said Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper. "Look at the damage they've done: Babies being born addicted, the deaths we've had, families with children addicted to heroin. Their fingerprints are all over this, and they knew what they were doing."

Kanawha County joins a growing number of counties, cities and towns across West Virginia that seek to hold drug distributors accountable for the opioid problem and to recoup costs associated with the epidemic.

The Cabell County Commission filed a similar lawsuit against the same drug distributors Thursday.

The lawsuits, filed in federal court, allege the pill shipments created a "public nuisance" and "public health and safety hazard."

Kanawha County is one of several counties on the "front line" of the prescription opioid and heroin epidemic, according to the county's suit. The complaint argues that addicts hooked on pain pills have switched to heroin, which offers a similar high.

Heroin and pain pills continue to cause a rash of fatal overdoses in Kanawha County, where the overdose death rate is nearly three times the national average.

The lawsuit alleges that the distributors failed to report pharmacies that ordered "suspicious" quantities of prescription painkillers.

"Wholesale distributors repeatedly and purposefully breached their duties under state and federal law, which is a direct and proximate cause of the diversion of millions of prescription opiates for non-medical purposes in Kanawha County," the commission's complaint states.

The lawsuit cites the Charleston Gazette-Mail's "Painkiller Profiteers" series, which revealed drug firms shipped 780 million hydrocodone and oxycodone pills to West Virginia over six years amid a rise of overdoses.

The suit also mentions a Washington Post investigation that found that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration slowed enforcement actions against drug distributors.

Drug wholesalers and their trade groups "pressured the U.S. Justice Department to halt prosecutions and lobbied Congress to strip the DEA of its ability to immediately suspend distributor registrations," according to the suit.

In response to similar lawsuits, the drug distributors have denied any wrongdoing. They've said they sold prescription painkillers to licensed pharmacies that filled prescriptions from licensed doctors. They also note that pain pill shipments make up only a small percentage of their total sales.

Kanawha County's lawsuit includes a list of fines that wholesalers have paid in recent years to settle federal investigations.

"The epidemic rages because the fines and suspensions imposed by the DEA do not change the conduct of the wholesale distributor industry," the lawsuit alleges. "They pay fines as a cost of doing business in an industry which generates billions of dollars in annual revenue."

A Huntington law firm, Greene Ketchum, is representing both the Kanawha and Cabell commissions.

Reach Eric Eyre at ericeyre@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4869 or follow @ericeyre on Twitter.

GREEN VALLEY, W.Va. - A woman who was seriously injured during a mobile home fire earlier this week has died.

Capt. Joe Parks of the Mercer County Sheriff's Department confirmed on Wednesday that Amber Terry died Tuesday night. Officials did not release her age.

The Bluefield Daily Telegraph reports Terry was critically injured in a structure fire Monday night at Woody's Mobile Home Park in Green Valley. Officials initially said Terry was dead on arrival, but she was later revived at a hospital.

Sheriff Tommy Bailey says the home was a total loss.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.

A Roane County woman who pleaded guilty to credit card fraud Thursday admitted to taking more than $10,000 while she worked for the United Way of Central West Virginia.

Rhonda Kelly Conrad, 49, of Spencer, faces up to 10 years in federal prison when she's sentenced June 1 by U. S. District Judge Joseph Goodwin.

Conrad admitted to taking a number of company credit cards while she worked at the United Way's office in Charleston. She purchased things for herself with the cards.

Between June and a December in 2014, Conrad charged more than $6,000 to the cards. She admitted that she set up false accounts within in the nonprofit's system and had about $4,000 transferred to her personal bank account.

"There is not much more despicable than theft from organizations established to take care of folks who can't take care of themselves. Stealing from a charity is a serious crime that carries significant consequences," U. S. Attorney Carol Casto said in a news release. "We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to make sure these offenders are held accountable."

As part of the deal she made with federal prosecutors, Conrad has agreed to pay back the money. She also faces up to $250,000 in fines at sentencing.

Stuck between rising crime and a drug epidemic, the Charleston Police Department said it needs a new plan to deal with problems facing the community.

A report released Thursday shows an increase in crime across every district and nearly every crime category in Charleston last year. Overall, crime increased about 17 percent across eight categories, with larceny being the highest by far in every region.

The report tracks categories of crime that police agencies are required to report to the FBI each year.

While reported sexual assaults dropped in Charleston — from 54 in 2015 to 36 in 2016 — cases of murder, robbery, malicious wounding, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and auto breaking and entering increased last year.

“The reality is that the heroin/opioid epidemic is driving almost all of our crime,” Chief Brent Webster said in a prepared statement. “That fact does not make it any more acceptable so my staff and division commanders are exploring different law enforcement strategies to ensure we are controlling what variables we can.”

Webster emphasized the importance of both rehabilitating addicts and taking down violent drug dealers.

The department is concerned about people like David Young, who pleaded guilty in federal court to selling 40 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and shooting into an occupied car in St. Albans.

The department also is focused on people who have found themselves on the other end of Charleston's drug problem. Grant Crul was accused of breaking into Good Shepherd Veterinary Hospital and stealing medications in 2016.

Police found him passed out at a nearby Donut Connection shortly after.

Of the three regions listed in Thursday's report, the West district, which includes the West Side and North Charleston, showed the lowest increase in crime, falling at least 7 percent below the other districts. Increased enforcement on the West Side also may have curbed its criminal activity.

The region did, however, have eight murders, whereas the East district, which is everything within city limits east of the Elk River and North of the Kanawha River, had two and the South district, which the Charleston area south of the Kanawha River, had one.

The concentration of businesses and cars in other areas of Charleston make it easier for someone to steal property and fund a drug habit, said Lt. Steve Cooper, the department's chief of detectives.

“The addicts are stealing whatever is not nailed down, to use an old cliche,” he said.

Cooper also said West Virginia's crime rates are on par with surrounding states.

According to the most complete and recent FBI data, West Virginia did have similar rates of crime per resident when compared to Virginia, Pennsylvania and Kentucky for the year 2014.

The data also shows Charleston police reported about 14 percent more crime in 2000 than it did in 2014.

“If you look at those numbers, these areas would feel so safe by comparison,” Cooper said.

Still, Charleston is faced with a dangerous problem and its roots may extend beyond West Virginia's borders.

In a 2016 investigation, an FBI informant arranged to have 10 pounds of meth delivered to Charleston from Los Angeles.

The plan was for two women to deliver the drugs by car and for a California man to fly into Huntington and pick up the profits just five days later.

Drugs that make their way to West Virginia burden law enforcement, emergency responders and Charleston's residents.

It's a problem without boundaries, and law enforcement personnel have even found themselves in the middle of West Virginia's epidemic.

Authorities arrested one of their own in 2016 after an on-duty parole officer allegedly bought what he thought to be Oxycodone from a confidential informant.

Police said Christopher Bright, then an employee of the Braxton County Sheriff's Office, had also bought pills and meth in the past. He lost his job shortly after.

Cooper said a positive change is expected with proactive police work and successful prosecutions, along with other factors.

“In my opinion, there needs to be more treatment facilities,” he said.

Reach Giuseppe Sabella at giuseppe.sabella@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5189 or follow @gsabella on Twitter.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - A preliminary hearing for a Pennsylvania man charged with killing a family of three while leading police on a Thanksgiving Day chase has been postponed.

Friday's hearing for 22-year-old Demetrius Colelman has been moved to April 7 in Pittsburgh City Court.

Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr. says Coleman and a woman who owned his car had been selling heroin earlier that day before East McKeesport police stopped Coleman for a traffic violation. He allegedly sped away and crashed into another car in neighboring North Versailles (ver-SAYLS'), killing David Bianco, his fiancee, Kaylie Meininger, and her 2-year-old daughter, Annika.

Coleman faces charges of criminal homicide and a long list of traffic violations. He's represented by a county public defender whose policy is to not comment on criminal charges.

A South Charleston man allegedly broke into his ex-girlfriend's home, stole several items, hid her TV in the attic and later sent her a FaceTime video chat from inside the house.

Xavier Jones, 27, climbed through the woman's window in Dunbar on Wednesday and stole one iPad and two Amazon Fire TV Sticks, according to a criminal complaint filed in Kanawha County Magistrate Court.

Jones reportedly told the woman he wanted to "play a game" and make her find the belongings. She later found her TV hidden in the attic.

The woman began to leave an hour later to file a domestic violence protection order, the complaint states. That's when she noticed Jones' white Dodge Charger outside.

She watched Jones leave his car and go back into the house, where he then sent her a video chat from his phone, according to the complaint.

Officers found Jones in South Charleston and soon discovered he had 11 grams of marijuana and a handgun - a violation of an existing protective order against him.

Jones remained at South Central Regional Jail in lieu of a $7,500 bond on Friday afternoon.

Reach Giuseppe at giuseppe.sabella@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5189 or @gsabella on Twitter.

Nathaniel Williams was shot eight times at a Charleston bar last year. He's spent nearly five months in jail as a result of his actions during the incident, and a prosecutor said Friday that Williams should be released.

But Kanawha Circuit Judge Duke Bloom didn't agree, and sentenced Williams to spend two years in prison.

Williams, 30, was given credit for the 140 days he's already spent in the South Central Regional Jail. He pleaded guilty last month to wanton endangerment for shooting his gun twice outside the Boondocks Bar and Grill, in the 2300 block of Washington Street West, just after 2 a.m. on May 14.

Williams said he fired his gun twice in the air in an attempt to clear traffic so he could make it to the hospital.

"Have you ever heard of a horn?" Bloom asked Williams.

Williams replied that he had made a split-second decision to fire his gun. He apologized for his actions.

"I felt it was either move the crowd or sit back and die in my backseat," Williams said. "I take full responsibility for my actions."

Jamaine Sutton, 32, of Dunbar, was pronounced dead at the bar. He was shot five times. A North Carolina man, Jacques Slade, pleaded guilty last month to voluntary manslaughter in Sutton's death.

Kanawha Assistant Prosecutor Fred Giggenbach on Friday described the incident at the bar as a "Wild West shootout." The prosecutor said Williams fired his shots after others had stopped shooting. He added that undercover police officers at the scene were not wounded.

Williams "might have had a good shot at trial, given that he was shot eight times," Giggenbach said. Instead, Williams took a deal with prosecutors last month and pleaded guilty to the wanton endangerment charge, which marked his first felony conviction. Prosecutors wanted to convict Williams of a felony so he could no longer legally possess a firearm.

As part of the deal Williams made with prosecutors, a second charge of wanton endangerment was dropped. That charge stemmed from an incident in Dunbar last October in which Williams held his gun above his head and fired a warning shot, Giggenbach said.

Williams' lawyer, Shawn Bayliss, told the judge that his client was looking forward to getting his life back. Before he was indicted in the fall, Williams worked for ServPro, a company that performs fire- and water-damage restoration. He even renewed the certificates he's required to have while he was incarcerated, according to Bayliss.

"I'm ready to put this behind me and move forward with my life," Williams said.

Before handing down the sentence Friday, Bloom said he had doubts about the version of events he was given.

"You are not necessarily the victim you present yourself to be," the judge told Williams.

A loud gasp could be heard in the courtroom when the judge handed down the sentence.

Williams and the prosecutor made eye contact while Williams was walked out of the courtroom. After the hearing, Bayliss could be heard telling Williams' family members that he had never before seen Giggenbach recommend that a sentence be reduced to time served.

Reach Kate White at kate.white@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-1723 or follow @KateLWhite on Twitter.

Investigations by the Crimes Against Children Unit, an arm of the West Virginia State Police, led to the arrest of three men around the state this week.

Ronnie Fazzini, of Clarksburg, allegedly used his employment at Pressley Ridge, a facility for troubled and special- needs youth, to take advantage of a 16-year-old girl, according to a criminal complaint filed in Harrison County Magistrate Court.

The girl became scared after the letters she received from Fazzini, 26, began to include sexual messages, the complaint states. In one letter, Fazzini reportedly told the girl he would change his work schedule to spend more time with her.

Authorities said it was easy to compare Fazzini's unique handwriting with his letters and employment applications.

A search of his home revealed a blue notebook that contained the same paper and handwriting from Fazzini's past letters.

Police arrested him on three counts of sexual abuse by a person in a position of trust to a child. Fazzini was released on a $10,000 bail and could not be reached for comment.

Barry Callahan, of Alkol, allegedly used Facebook to exchange sexual messages, photographs and videos with a 15-year-old girl, according to a criminal complaint filed in Lincoln County Magistrate Court.

In one of the messages, Callahan told the girl he was just released from "lock up," the complaint states.

Police arrested Callahan, 32, on charges of possessing child pornography, soliciting a minor, displaying obscene material with intent to seduce, and using a minor in the production of obscene material.

He remained at the Western Regional Jail in lieu of a $50,000 bail Friday afternoon.

Derrick Berry, of Charles Town, already was booked into jail last month for the alleged sexual assault of two girls in Jefferson County, according to a criminal complaint filed in Berkeley County Magistrate Court.

He allegedly assaulted a third girl in Berkeley County, and Jefferson officials asked investigators to pursue more charges.

Berry, 41, is now accused of inappropriately touching the 10-year-old girl, who referred to him as a "sick-headed guy" in a police interview, the complaint states.

Police arrested Berry on several counts of sexual abuse and sexual assault. He remained at the Eastern Regional Jail in lieu of a $100,000 bail for the original charges and a $400,000 bail for the new charges.

The commander of the Crimes Against Children Unit, Lt. Danny Swiger, said the work of his personnel led to the arrest of more than 200 people last year.

"Sometimes, multiple cases come through here each day," he said.

Reach Giuseppe Sabella at giuseppe.sabella@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5189 or @gsabella on Twitter.

The West Virginia Senate voted Saturday to scrap a requirement that every circuit court participate in a drug court program.

Upon full passage, the legislation would give the judicial branch control over which courts will operate a drug court and which will not. The Senate voted 20-13 to pass the bill, with one senator absent.

The West Virginia Adult Drug Court Program is an alternative to the standard criminal justice system for low-level offenders that combines supervision, drug testing, counseling and workforce training in an effort to break drug habits.

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Charles Trump, R-Morgan, said the current legislation is a form of an unfunded mandate, and that individual circuits are best deciding for themselves whether a drug court is appropriate for their respective areas.

He added the bill will not directly eliminate any drug court, and that it authorizes the continuation of any and all drug courts as the judiciary branch sees fit.

"I think it's wrong fundamentally for us to mandate this," he said. "The question is, to what degree are we going to stick our nose in and operate everybody else's business in that branch of the government. Let's let them do the job in the best way they can for the people of this state."

Speaking in opposition to the bill, Sen. Ryan Weld, R-Brooke, who has sponsored several pieces of legislation throughout the session calling for more aggressive prosecution on narcotic distributors, said drug courts are a key aspect of solving the state's drug problem.

According to data he offered to the senate, since 2004, roughly 2 percent of drug court participants end up back in legal trouble within a year, and 9.4 percent return within two years. Those numbers dwarf a standard court's return rates of 30 percent of offenders.

Additionally, he said as many as 75 to 80 percent of drug offenders who navigate through the standard court system end up back in legal trouble.

The drug court program costs about $7,100 per year, per participant, Weld said, as opposed to the $27,000 to house an inmate in jail.

Along with Weld, several other senators spoke out against the bill. Sen. Ron Stollings, D-Boone, said the drug courts have proved extremely helpful in southern West Virginia.

"These are something we should be doing more of, not less of," he said.

Though several other senate Democrats spoke out against the bill, partisan lines blurred when Democrats sided with Trump.

Among them, Sen. Corey Palumbo, D-Kanawha, said it doesn't make sense for the legislative branch to force a judiciary body into a system it doesn't want for itself.

Likewise, Sen. Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, said while he appreciates the drug court system, he would be voting against the bill as a matter of principle.

"This is really a separation of powers issue," he said. "They have a budget, we can't control the Supreme Court budget, so if they aren't asking for more money for this, I believe it's a policy decision by a coequal branch of government that we shouldn't really interfere with."

Reach Jake Zuckerman at jake.zuckerman@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4814 or follow @jake_zuckerman on Twitter.

The following crimes were reported to the Charleston Police Department between March 2 and 9, 2017:

East District:

Virginia Street East 1600 block, breaking and entering auto, March 2, 2 a.m.

Charleston Town Center, shoplifting, March 2, 4:30 p.m.

Kanawha Boulevard 2100 block, breaking and entering, March 2, 10 p.m.

Civic Center Drive, grand larceny auto, March 3, 11 p.m.

Davis Square first block, brandishing, March 4, 11:15 a.m.

Washington Street East 100 block, grand larceny auto, March 5, 12:46 p.m.

Renaissance Circle 1300 block, battery, March 5, 3:30 p.m.

Elizabeth Street 500 block, petit larceny, March 5, 6 p.m.

Lee Street East 200 block, shoplifting, March 6, 10:48 a.m.

Quarrier Street 200 block, shoplifting, March 7, 4:40 p.m.

Charleston Town Center, petit larceny, March 7, 8 p.m.

South District:

Cross Terrace Boulevard 200 block, shoplifting, March 2, 1:09 p.m.

MacCorkle Avenue 5700 block, petit larceny, March 2, 5:17 p.m.

MacCorkle Avenue 6500 block, shoplifting, March 3, 12:40 p.m.

Nottingham Road 1500 block, child neglect, March 4, 12:15 p.m.

Kanawha Mall, petit larceny, March 4, 1 p.m.

Cross Terrace Boulevard 200 block, shoplifting, March 4, 1:45 p.m.

RHL Boulevard 200 block, petit larceny, March 4, 10 p.m.

MacCorkle Avenue Southeast 3200 block, petit larceny, March 5, 3 p.m.

Roosevelt Avenue 6600 block, breaking and entering auto, March 5, 8 p.m.

MacCorkle Avenue Southeast 300 block, breaking and entering, March 6, 3:41 a.m.

MacCorkle Avenue Southeast 300 block, grand larceny auto, March 6, 3:41 a.m.

MacCorkle Avenue Southeast 5300 block, grand larceny auto, March 6, 7:30 a.m.

MacCorkle Avenue Southeast 300 block, grand larceny auto, March 6, 7:47 a.m.

MacCorkle Avenue 5700, shoplifting, March 6, 1:37 p.m.

RHL Boulevard 200 block, shoplifting, March 6, 9:30 p.m.

Virginia Avenue Southwest 3700 block, breaking and entering auto, March 6, 11 p.m.

RHL Boulevard 200 block, shoplifting, March 7, 7 p.m.

Dorchester Road 1500 block, burglary, March 8, 11:30 a.m.

MacCorkle Avenue Southeast 5100 block, shoplifting, March 8, 3:10 p.m.

MacCorkle Avenue Southeast 6800 block, petit larceny, March 8, 4:20 p.m.

MacCorkle Avenue 5400 block, breaking and entering, March 8, 7:45 p.m.

West District:

Sissonville Drive 2300 block, breaking and entering, March 2, 2 p.m.

Randolph Street 600 block, petit larceny, March 3, 3 p.m.

Washington Street West 1500 block, petit larceny, March 4, 1:22 p.m.

Beech Avenue 1100 block, grand larceny auto, March 4, 7 p.m.

Chandler Drive 1600 block, petit larceny auto, March 4, 8 p.m.

7th Avenue 1600 block, breaking and entering auto, March 5, 7:20 p.m.

Roane Street 300 block, brandishing, March 5, 8:45 p.m.

Frame Street 1400 block, petit larceny, March 5, 11:30 p.m.

Washington Street West 1400 block, petit larceny auto, March 6, 7:40 a.m.

Washington Street West 1700 block, grand larceny auto, March 6, 7:50 a.m.

7th Avenue 1800 block, petit larceny, March 6, 11:32 p.m.

2nd Avenue 1600 block, breaking and entering, March 7, 5:23 a.m.

Stuart Street, petit larceny, March 7, 7 p.m.

Swarthmore Avenue 100 block, grand larceny auto, March 7, 8 p.m.

Delaware Avenue 500 block, shoplifting, March 7, 11 p.m.

Grove Avenue 900 block, petit larceny, March 8, 4:30 p.m.

7th Avenue and Rebecca Street, petit larceny, March 8, 5 p.m.

Swarthmore Avenue 100 block, petit larceny, March 8, 10:30 p.m.

Marriages

The following people filed for marriage licenses in Kanawha County between March 2 and 9, 2017:

Daniel Jason Hancock, 39, and Kimberly Dawn Thompson, 39, both of Charleston.

John Vinton Compton, 51, and Linda Ann Arthur, 41, both of Charleston.

Brody Michael Rumberg, 21, and Katelyn Taylor Lynch, 20, both of Eskdale.

Clay Anthony Ingram Jr., 19, and Kailee Madison Smith, 18, both of Dry Branch.

Freda Alisha Gilmore, 24, and Melinda Kay Taylor, 18, both of Charleston.

Sirgew Getachew, 34, and Sierra Nichole Caudill, 30, both of South Charleston.

Shane Michael Keefe, 31, and Mary Frances Elswick, 32, both of Charleston.

James Wesley Anderson, 28, and Paul Mackenzie Martin, 20, both of Chesapeake.

Timothy Allen Holmes, 57, and Lisa Lynn Fowler, 48, both of Charleston.

Zackary Lewis Wilkinson, 22, and Makayla Nicole Spurlock, 21, both of Charleston.

Michael Wayne White, 50, and Michelle Renee Duling, 43, both of Charleston.

Brian Wayne Burgess, 32, and Sarah Ellen Cooper, 25, both of Charleston.

Christopher Paul Bowman Jr., 25, of Sissonville and Megan Elizabeth Patton, 24, of Kenna.

Stephen Glenn Robertson, 42, and Jennifer Lynn Ramsey, 43, both of Cross Lanes.

Timothy Michael Johnson II, 19, of St. Albans and Christine Nichole Johnson, 19, of Winfield.

Randy Brian Ramsey, 29, and Latisha Lee Carpenter, 33, both of Charleston.

John William Edens, 54, and Sarah Ann Cook, 58, both of Charleston.

Christopher Michael Wilson, 23, and Brittany Lucille Bostic, 28, both of Charleston.

George Edward Ramsey, 42, and Loretta Renee Coleman, 32, both of Pond Gap.

John Dale Galloway, 46, and Elizabeth Ann Hickok, 46, both of South Charleston.

William Samuel Hart, 27, and Kayce Breanne Macormic, 20, both of Charleston

Gary Charles Morris, 45, and Rojen Florin Embol, 23, both of Charleston.

Doann Tran Pham, 22, of Charleston, and Kathryn Anne Tydings, 20, of Rio.

Phillip Allen Mangus, 37, and Christina Rene' Caldwell, 39, both of Charleston.

Divorces

The following people filed for divorce in Kanawha County between March 3 and 9, 2017:

Guy Ray Vance from Tessa Marie Vance

Tabitha Elaine Richardson from Charles William Richardson

Jason Carl Young from Jeanette Michelle Young

John Wesley Samples from Kimberly Sue Samples

Lisa Marie Ellison from Jason Michael Ellison

Michelle L. Boggs from Brian P. Boggs

Andrea Kay Nunn from Jeremy Ray Nunn

Michelle Lynn Hurley from Michael Gregory Murphy

Betty Gregory from Rickey Clay

Anthony Wayne Cooper from Teresa Dawn Cooper

Natalie Bryan Casto from Kale Keoki Robinson

Crystal Dawn Estep from Jeremy Bailey Estep

Jessica Nicole Wood from Joseph Anthony Wood

Destiny Epp from Eric Queen

Tammy Cook from Jason Cook

Shannon Kerns from Clifton Kerns

Tanesa Lynn Bowman from Brent Lee Bowman

James Dow Bailey from Getty Anette Braley

Kenneth Earl Helmbright from Karen Marie Helmbright

Myron Dewayne Daniels from Rebecca Ann Daniels

Property transfers

The following property transfers of $75,000 or more were recorded in Kanawha County between March 2 and 9, 2017:

Sallie W. Engle to Susan A. Garrison. Lot, Elk District, $78,000.

Glenn R. and Shelia Pauley to Tina Cristee-Brough and Chad W. Brough. Parcels, Jefferson District, $200,000.

Anna J. Young to Roger Boutot, Kristy Boutot, Raymond M. Emswiler and Joann M. Emswiler. Lot, Union District, $145,000.

M.A. McClure Rental Properties LLC to Johnny David Tippie. Condominium, Charleston, $75,000.

James D. Jr. and Anita L. Deem to Peter J. Curry. Lot, Loudon District, $210,000.

Adam C. Aleshire to Seth C. and Joslyn R. Newell. Lot, Union District, $112,900.

Matthew A. and Heather R. Myers to Christopher D. and Jessica M. Parker. Lot, Washington District, $415,000.

Paws LLC to Gary W. Bosher. Lots, Charleston North District, $285,000.

Kenneth E. and Della N. Dean to Talana N. Harris. Parcel, Nitro District, $116,500.

Thomas M. Potts to Seth and Dasia A. Jeffries. Lot, Charleston, $132,000.

H. Drexel Short Jr. and Laura Miller to Perdue Properties LLC. Lots, Charleston, $145,500.

Lucas J. and Stephanie B. Gregory to Kristen M. McLanahan. Lot, Charleston, $196,000.

Hedda Haning to Gregory S. Foster. Lot, Charleston, $200,000.

James E. Faulkner to Jeff Runyon. Lot, Spring Hill, $86,120.

Wanda A. and John E. Burdette II to to Alex J. and Barbara L. Stanze. Lot, Charleston, $178,000.

Timothy W. and Stacey B. Fischer to Glenn Pauley. Lot, Jefferson District, $145,000.

Tyson C. and Michelle L. Judy to Tayler Aab. Lot, Elk District, $157,000.

David M. Donelon to Kimberly D. Phillips. Lot, Union District, $205,000.

Archard J. Nissel Jr. to Brian and Krista Tackman. Lots, Kanawha City District, $187,500.

Carol James and Ryan A. Mooney. Lot, Cabin Creek District, $94,000.

John Jeffrey and Johnna S. Beane to Kim R. Blankenship II and Christy M. Blankenship. Parcel, South Charleston, $150,500.

Phillip w. Aldrich and Tegan Elizabeth Easterday to Cheyenne M. Hedrick. Parcel, Charleston, $152,000.

A&M Properties and Investments LLC and Montani Properties LLC to Rachel O. and Zachary C. Sallade. Lot, Kanawha City District, $167,000.

Terry Edwin and Angela Joyce England to Lisa D. Barlow. Lot, Malden Distict, $185,000.

Frank A. III and Camilla J. Baer to Trevor T. and Bretta K. Hyre. Lots, Loudon District, $365,000.

Donald C. Meddings Jr. to Emily D. and Wayne M. Watson Jr. Lots, Jefferson District, $93,000.

Ronald R. and Patricia A. Perry to Daniel J. and Katrina L. Mumma. Lots, Poca District, $174,000.

Tonimarie Johnson to Harold F. Harper III. Lot, St. Albans, $124,000.

Thomas L. Richardson to Roger A. and Linda G. Chambers. Lot, St. Albans, $162,000.

Stephen and Tammy Epperly to Destinee Brooke and Eric Thomas Mulcahy. Lot, Union District, $105,000.

Caz M. and Kathy I. Stepp to Patrick G. and Tina S. Garska. Lot, Jefferson District, $195,000.

Wood Properties LLC to Justin Kyle and Collette Collins. Lot, Union District, $88,000.

Marc L. and Mary D. Harman to Robert G. and Anita Harold Ashley. Condominium, Charleston, $90,000.

Michael Ryan Henshall to Michele Henshall-Knight. Parcel, Union District, $117,000.

Trevor T. and Bretta K. Hyre to Daniel R. and Amanda D. Brainard. Lot, Union District, $295,000.

Belle Properties LLC to D&M Investment Properties LLC. Lot, City of Belle, $110,000.

Dwayne O. and Aymee M. Combs to Amanda Foster Miller. Lots, St. Albans, $183,000.

Virgil and Rose Marie Reed to Crystal L. Young. Lot, Big Sandy District, $78,000.

Seneca Trustee Inc. to Quicken Loans. Lot, St. Albans, $90,520.

Giuseppe and Sandra L. Graziano to Julie H. and Thomas A. Barrick. Lot, Charleston, $280,000.

David S. and Terri L. Cunningham to Ronald L. and Tracy Crawley. Lots, Union District, $85,000.

Hereford and Riccardi PLLC to The Huntington National Bank. Lot, Charleston, $126,000.

James W. Lane Jr. and Bradford P. Bury to United Bank Inc. Parcel, Union District, $145,000.

Edward H. and Marilyn E. Smith to Giuseppe and Sandra L. Graziano. Lot, Charleston, $330,000.

Gary W. and Kelly Clark to Melvin L. and Abbie G. Burch. Parcel, Jefferson District, $125,700.

William L. and Terri S. Zirkle to Jarrett and Canon Hill. Lot, Washington District, $410,000.

Rodney Woods, Viola Sue Woods, and Roberta Woods to Richard Lee and Josephine Levon Drake. Parcel, Elk District, $80,000.

Russell E. Boner to Zachary R. Walker. Parcels, Loudon District, $99,000.

Herbert L. and Iona J. Dillard to Christian Jones. Lots, Jefferson District, $86,250.

Erik W. Bailey to Jacob A. Cogar. Lot, Union District, $88,000.

Macy's Retail Holdings Inc. to Charleston town Center Company L.P. Lots, Charleston, $2,500,000.

Robert W. Swartz to Michael H. Belcher. Lot, Charleston, $92,500.

Forest E. and Audrey F. Carper to Waldon L. and Melinda C. Dennis. Lot, Elk District, $290,000.

Debra Lynn Kish Dial to Toi L. Dillard. Lot, Dunbar, $90,000.

Bankruptcies

The bankruptcies listed below are limited to those filed by residents or companies in the Gazette-Mail's circulation area. Chapter 7 designates the liquidation of non-exempt property; Chapter 11 calls for business reorganization; Chapter 13 establishes a schedule of payments to creditors. The following bankruptcies were filed between March 3 and 10, 2017:

Rachael Diane and Tommy Lee Wheeler, Elkview, Chapter 7. Assets: $37,910, Liabilities: $68,012.

Matthew James and Deanna Lea Stephens, Charleston, Chapter 7. Assets: $37,649, Liabilities: $98,257.

Felicia Ellen McKinney, Oak Hill, Chapter 7. Assets: $9,463, Liabilities: $253,829.

Monty Thomas Asbury, Oak Hill, Chapter 7. Assets: $25, Liabilities: $53,013.

Marshall Jonathan Spaulding Jr. Charleston, Chapter 7. Assets: $240,867, Liabilities: $135,954.

Charlotte Jean Jenkins, Charleston, Chapter 7. Assets: Unknown, Liabilities: Unknown.

Richard Wesley England Jr., Whitman, Chapter 7. Assets: $32,225, Liabilities: $33,729.

James Arthur and Theresa Marie Harkless, Charleston, Chapter 7. Assets: $104,017, Liabilities: $110,826.

Joseph Wayne Backus, Hewett, Chapter 7. Assets: $9,650, Liabilities: $66,647.

Mindy Lynn Hager, Chapmanville, Chapter 7. Assets: $50,396, Liabilities: $66,374.

Robert Jospeh Kline, Saint Albans, Chapter 7. Assets: $15,346, Liabilities: $16,587.

Daniel Joseph McIver, Man, Chapter 7. Assets: $12,500, Liabilities: $91,962.

Roger Dale Patterson, Lewisburg, Chapter 7. Assets: Unknown, Liabilities: Unknown.

The Patterson Group LLC, Lewisburg, Chapter 7. Assets: Unknown, Liabilities: Unknown.

Irma Nadine Gregory, Mabscott, Chapter 7. Assets: $26,359, Liabilities: $48,801.

Hassel Harvey and Leslie Annette Jackson, Lewisburg, Chapter 7. Assets: $114,846, Liabilities: $204,935.

Joshua Ryan Mitchem, Ronceverte, Chapter 7. Assets: $39,586, Liabilities: $62,289.

Floyd Durwood Sr. and Teresa Irene Tincher, Rupert, Chapter 7. Assets: $98,010, Liabilities: $171,627.

Michael David Osborne, Oceana, Chapter 11. Assets: Unknown, Liabilities: Unknown.