The Mountain Eagle
WHITESBURG WEATHER

Grand jury returns 11 indictments




The Letcher Grand Jury has charged a Thornton man and two others in connection with the theft of an automobile in new indictments handed up to Letcher Circuit Judge Sam Wright.

Edward Morton, 49, of 3349 Thornton Road, Thornton, is charged with criminal complicity to receive stolen property (under $10,000), criminal complicity to theft by deception and being a persistent felony offender.

The grand jury says Morton acted with Jake Daniel Taulbee and Scotty Hall on October 12 in possessing an automobile stolen from Tonya Procter of Clairmont, Ohio, and selling the vehicle, which had been vandalized, for scrap to Baker’s Scrap Metal for $250. Morton, acting with Taulbee and Hall, is accused of breaking out the windows of the car, removing tires wheels, breaking the radiator, and removing all license tags and registration and ownership records.

Morton was previously convicted in the death of his three-month-old daughter and was paroled on September 13, 2012.

Jake Daniel Taulbee, 34, of 711 Willow St., New Richmond, Ohio, is charged with receiving stolen property (under $10,000) and theft by deception in the same case.

The grand jury says Taulb e e possessed an automobile stolen from Tonya Procter of Clairmont, Ohio, and sold the vehicle, which had been vandalized, for scrap to Baker’s Scrap Metal for $250. Taulbee is also accused of breaking out the windows of the car, removing tires wheels, breaking the radiator, and removing all license tags and registration and ownership records.

Scotty Hall, 49, no address given, is charged with criminal complicity to receive stolen property (under $10,000) and criminal complicity to theft by deception.

The grand jury says Hall acted with Taulbee and Morton in possessing an automobile stolen from Procter and selling the vehicle, which had been vandalized, for scrap to Baker’s Scrap Metal. He is also accused of vandalizing the vehicle. Letcher County Sheriff ’s Deputy Eugene Slone testifi ed in the cases.

Others indicted by the grand jury are:

• Rebecca D. Lewis — Criminal complicity to retaliating against a participant in a legal process and being a persistent felony offender.

Lewis, 28, of 770 Bowman Creek, Eolia, is charged with acting with William J. McCall, Jr., her co-defendant in a felony case, in threatening John C. Maggard, a participant in a legal process, on Sept. 25.

Kentucky State Trooper Mike Burton testified in the case.

• William J. McCall, Jr. — Criminal complicity to retaliating against a participant in a legal process and being a persistent felony offender.

McCall, 53, of 9362 Hwy. 119, Eolia, is charged with acting with Rebecca Lewis, his co-defendant in a felony case, in threatening John C. Maggard, a participant in a legal process, on Sept. 25.

Kentucky State Trooper Mike Burton testified in the case.

• Johnny Wayne Cooper — Theft by deception.

Cooper, 50, of 4830 Saint Paul Road, Morristown, Tenn., is accused of obtaining $2,000 as partial payment from Eddie Taylor of 1556 Thornton Road, Thornton, on June 27 by falsely agreeing to place blacktop on Taylor’s driveway and thereafter refusing to complete the job or to refund the $2,000 paid by Taylor.

Letcher County Sheriff ’s Deputy Eugene Slone testifi ed in the case.

• Jeremy S. Brock— burglary, theft of a firearm, theft by unlawful taking ( less than $500) and criminal mischief (second degree).

The grand jury says Brock, 22, also known as “Worm” Brock, of 354 Pert Creek, Whitesburg, burglarized the home of Charlene Pullen at 68 Path Road, Whitesburg, on Sept. 16, taking a .22 caliber handgun and other items including a yellow gold diamond ring and prescription medicines. Brock is also accused of damaging the front door of the Pullen residence and a small metal safe.

Letcher County Sheriff ’s Deputy Sidney Fields testifi ed in the case.

• Joshua Wilson Bentley —Theft by unlawful taking.

Bentley, 22, of 49 BBall Drive, McRoberts, is charged with taking a school bus on Oct. 10 valued at $10,000 which belongs to the Jenkins Independent School System.

Letcher County Sheriff ’s Deputy Sidney Fields testifi ed in the case.

• Curtis Allen Branham — Criminal possession of a forged instrument (second degree), unsworn falsification to authorities and being a persistent felony offender.

The grand jury says Branham, 40, of 156 Moonshine Drive, Whitesburg, used a forged letter on July 9 purporting to be signed by Dr. Roi Reed and saying Branham was permanently disabled and was therefore unable to provide child support for his minor child. He is also charged with making a false written statement to Tara Ritchie and other employees of the Letcher County Division of Child Support Enforcement.

Kentucky State Trooper Donald White testified in the case.

• Bradley Alexander Meadows — Fleeing or evading police ( first degree), two counts of wanton endangerment ( first degree), speeding, failure to wear seat belts, operating a vehicle under the influence, failure to maintain insurance, no/expired registration plates, possession of a controlled substance and controlled substance not in original container.

Meadows, 31, of 430 Ky Hwy. 611, Pikeville, is charged with disobeying a direction to stop his automobile given by a peace officer on Aug. 31 and endangering the lives of the occupants of other vehicles by driving at speeds of 95 miles per hour while fleeing from police officers across Pine Mountain toward Whitesburg on U.S. 119. He is also accused of driving while under the influence of drugs and having numerous controlled substances in his possession.

Letcher County Sheriff ’s Deputy Sidney Fields testifi ed in the case.

• Dewayne Ecliff Slone — Making false statement to obtain unemployment benefi ts over $100 and being a persistent felony offender.

The grand jury says Slone, 48, of 60 Left Fork Marshall’s Branch, Jenkins, fraudulently reported he had been laid off when he had voluntarily terminated his employment and had received $4,082.10 in unemployment benefits.

Emma Wireman of the Kentucky Division of Unemployment Insurance testified in the case.



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