Lawrence County Grand Jury Hands Down 11 True Bills

By Roberta Cantrell
BSN Editor

The Lawrence County Grand Jury met in regular session September 11 resulting in a total of 11 true bills.

First person to be indicted was Christopher Sons, 45, of Blaine, who was charged with 1st degree fleeing/evading, (2) counts of 1st degree wanton endangerment (police officers), operating a motor vehicle on suspended or revoked license and no tail lamps.

The indictment states that on August 9, Sons unlawfully disregarding signals and commands to stop given by Deputy Daniel Castle and Deputy Joe Osborne with the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office with the intent to flee or elude his arrest creating a substantial risk of serious physical injury or death to the officers while operating a motor vehicle on suspended license and no tail lamps.

•Gage Burris, 19, of Louisa, was charged with 1st degree fleeing/evading, speeding 26 mph over limit, reckless driving, no registration plates, failure of owner to maintain required insurance when on July 27 he committed the offense of disregarding signals and commands to stop given by Post 14 KSP Trooper Chase Coverdale with the intent to flee, avoid or elude his arrest creating a substantial risk of serious injury or death to the trooper. The indictment also states that Burris was also driving 26 MPH over the limit without due regard for the safety and convenience of pedestrians and other vehicles upon roadways without registration or insurance.

•Larry Horn JR, 57, of Inez, was charged with 1st degree bail jumping when on July 10, he/she committed the offense of unlawfully having been released from custody by the court with or without bail upon a condition that he/she will subsequently appear at a specified time and place in connection with a felony charge and failed to appear at that time and place as ordered by the court namely an arraignment hearing.

•Brian Carter, 46, of Ulysses, was charged with 1st degree bail jumping when on July 10, he/she committed the offense of unlawfully having been released from custody by the court with or without bail upon a condition that he/she will subsequently appear at a specified time and place in connection with a felony charge and failed to appear at that time and place as ordered by the court namely a report date.

•Brian Carter, (on a separate case) 46, of Ulysses, was charged with 1st degree bail jumping when on July 10, he/she committed the offense of unlawfully having been released from custody by the court with or without bail upon a condition that he/she will subsequently appear at a specified time and place in connection with a felony charge and failed to appear at that time and place as ordered by the court namely a report date.

•Sam Shepherd, 57, of Defuniak Springs, FL., was charged with theft by unlawful taking over $10,000 but less than $1,000,000 when on March 8 he committed the offense of unlawfully taking a 2019 Coachman brand travel trailer owned by Brad and Patricia Crites from it’s location at Creekside Cabins in the Fallsburg community with the approximate value of $12,991.

•Both Madaline Johnson, 20, of Inez and Charles Marcum, 51, of Louisa were charged with two separate charges of 1st degree trafficking in a controlled substance (complicity) when on May 30 they both acted alone or in complicity in committing the offense of trafficking in <2 grams of methamphetamine and Fentanyl. The indictment also states they were in possession of $75 in cash monies (2) sets of digital scales and individual plastic baggies.

•Both Jeffrey Ball, 48, of Perry, OH and Christopher Cox, 39, of Huntington, WV, were charged with trafficking in a controlled substance (complicity) and trafficking in marijuana (complicity) when on July 31 they both acted alone or in complicity in committing the offense of unlawfully being in possession of 26.9 grams of methamphetamine and $456 in casg along with less than 8 ounces of marijuana. Cox was also charged with rear license not illuminated.

•Kyle Davidson, 42, of Ashland, was charged with 2 counts of 1st degree possession of a controlled substance operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drugs, no/expired registration receipt, failure to produce insurance card and operating on a suspended/revoked license when on May 29 he committed the offense of unlawfully being in possession of methamphetamine and fentanyl while he was impaired driving without insurance on a revoked license.

(Editor’s note: An indictment is not an indication of guilt but a determination by a grand jury that criminal charges warrant further judicial review.)