By Stephen Smoot
Last week, the grand jury of Pendleton County returned a set of indictments. It is important to remember that a grand jury indictment only means that a body of citizens has determined that a charged person has enough evidence against them to go to trial. Unless a plea bargain or guilty plea occurs, the defendants will go on trial before a petit jury of eight of their peers.
Petit juries do not determine guilt or innocence. They judge the case presented and usually render a unanimously verdict of guilty or not guilty.
The grand jury returned two counts against Logan Adam Bowman. The first count was for “Failure to Register as a Sexual Offender or Provide Notice of Registration Changes, a felony.” It goes on to establish that “on or about December 22, 2024 . . . (he) did unlawfully and feloniously and knowingly refuse to provide accurate information when so required by the terms of this article . . . did knowingly fail to register and knowingly refuse to provide or cooperate in providing the registrant’s full name or aliases, or nicknames, or other names used by the registrant . . . having previously been convicted of a qualifying offense . . . that being ‘Sexually Motivated Battery’ with a conviction date on or about September 19. 2022 against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The second count alleges the same information as the first.
The grand jury returned two counts against Jason Randolph Adkins. The first count alleges “Sexual Abuse by a Parent, Guardian, Custodian, or a Person in a Position of Trust . . . on or about or between January 1, 2020 and December 1, 2024 . . . unlawfully and feloniously . . . engage in or attempt to engage . . . intrusion . . . or contact with said child under his care, custody and control . . . against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The second count alleges that Adkins engaged in “Sexual Assault in the Third Degree, Statutory, a felony . . . on or about January 1, 2020 and November 11, 2024 . . . did unlawfully and feloniously, being sixteen years of age or more engage in . . . intrusion . . . with another person . . . who at the time was less that sixteen years of age and who was at least four years younger than the above named Defendant . . . against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The grand jury passed two indictments against Kermit M. Redman. The first count alleges that Redman committed “Delivery of a Controlled Substance, a Felony . . . (he) did unlawfully and feloniously deliver a controlled substance . . . Methamphetamine . . . against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The second count alleges that he committed “Conspiracy, a Felony . . . on, about , or between August 2022 and February 7, 2023 . . . (he) did unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously conspire with Ronald Griest . . . to commit the offense Delivery of a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine) . . . against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The grand jury passed four indictments against Jason Daniel Hicks. The first count alleges that he was “Bringing into this State Property Stolen in Another State, a Felony . . . on or about December 18, 2024 . . . bring into this state . . . a 2009 Subaru Forester, having a value of $4,000, which was stolen in the State of West Virginia and transported to the State of West Virginia, against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The second count is “Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, a Felony . . . (he) did unlawfully and feloniously . . . bring into this State . . . a 2009 Subaru Forester . . . against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The third count is “Fraudulent Registration, a Felony . . . (he) did unlawfully and feloniously hold or use any such document or registration plate, knowing the same to be altered, forged, or falsified . . . against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The fourth count alleges “Possession of a Controlled Substance, a Felony . . . (he) did unlawfully and feloniously possess with intent to manufacture controlled substance . . . Marijuana . . . against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The grand jury indicted Jesse Lee Mowery on seven counts. The first alleges “Possession of a Stolen Vehicle . . . on or about November 4, 2024 . . . (he) did unlawfully and feloniously have in his possession a vehicle which he knew, or had reason to believe, was stolen or unlawfully taken . . . against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The second count alleges “Destruction of Property, a Felony . . . on or about November 4, 2024 (he) did unlawfully, feloniously, willfully and intentionally destroy, injure, or deface the real or personal property of another causing a loss in the value of the property of $2,500 or more . . . a 2002 Jeep Wrangler, belonging to Matthew Evans . . . against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The third count alleges “Driving While License Suspended, a Misdemeanor . . . (he) did unlawfully drive a motor vehicle on a public highway of this State at a time when his privileges to do so had been lawfully suspended . . . against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The fourth count alleges “Improper Registration, a Misdemeanor . . . (he) did unlawfully display upon a vehicle any registration card, registration plates, or permit not issued for such vehicle . . . upon a 2002 Jeep Wrangler . . . against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The fifth count alleges “Operating a Vehicle With an Expired Motor Vehicle Inspection Sticker, a Misdemeanor . . . (he) did operate such vehicle without having displayed thereon a current valid certificate of inspection . . . against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The sixth count alleges “Possession of a Controlled Substance, a Misdemeanor . . . (he) did unlawfully, knowingly, and intentionally possess a controlled substance . . . Methamphetamine . . . against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The seventh count alleges “Possession of a Controlled Substance, a Misdemeanor . . . Fentanyl . . . against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
