Kanawha County Sheriff's Department Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

W.Va. Man Accused Of Taking Copper Wire From Interstate Lights

A West Virginia man has been charged in connection with the theft of copper wire from interstate lights and selling it.

Clarence Wayne Giles, 31, of the Charleston area, was charged with grand larceny, receiving or transferring stolen goods and other charges and was being held on $5,000 bond, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.

Giles is accused of selling the copper for about $16,000. Chief Deputy Joe Crawford of the sheriff’s office said it cost about $1.5 million to repair the damage and restore the equipment, news outlets reported.

The case included lights on Interstate 77 in the Edens Fork area and in the Charleston and South Charleston areas.

It wasn’t clear whether Giles was represented by a lawyer who could comment on the case.

W. Va. Agencies Participating in Drug Take Back Day

Law enforcement officials in West Virginia are participating in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Drug Take Back Day.

The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office said it will have deputies stationed at each detachment from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Deputies will be posted at detachments in Saint Albans, Cross Lanes, Sissonville, Elkview and Quincy.

Detachment locations can be found online. Also, a drug take back box is located at the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office Charleston headquarters and available for disposals during business hours on weekdays.

Other agencies in West Virginia are also participating. More information is available online.

Officials Investigating Money Missing From Magistrate Court

Authorities are investigating money missing from Kanawha County Magistrate Court.

Kanawha County Sheriff’s spokesman Mike Rutherford tells the Charleston Gazette-Mail that a court official informed deputies about the missing money on Wednesday.

Magistrate court employees deposit money daily collected from fines, among other court costs.

Rutherford says the money was supposed to have deposited at the end of the day and it wasn’t. He says when another individual went to look for it the next day, it wasn’t there.

Rutherford says it’s unknown what happened to the money. He declined to say how much is missing.

Deputies are interviewing employees and magistrates who work in the office.

Airport, Police Probe Possible Fraud Targeting Landslide Aid

Authorities are investigating allegations of fraud and other crimes targeting Yeager Airport’s efforts to help residents following a landslide.

Yeager Airport spokesman Mike Plante said Thursday that some people may have taken advantage of the situation to enrich themselves.

The investigation is being conducted by airport police and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Department. It includes allegations of fraud, theft, obtaining goods and services under false pretenses and criminal trespass.

Plante says in a news release that the allegations involve a small number of people.

A man-made emergency overrun area at the end of the hillside airport’s main runway broke loose on March 12. The landslide took out a church, an unoccupied home, power lines and trees.

No injuries were report. A few dozen homes were evacuated.