Last week, the Pendleton County Grand Jury issued a slate of indictments. Grand juries originated during the reign of King Henry II of England in his Assize of Clarendon. They were meant to provide a more effective starting point for the criminal and civil justice process than trial by battle or ordeal.
In modern practice, an indictment merely means that the grand jury has found enough evidence to continue with the prosecution. Unless plea bargained, the case next goes to the petit jury. There 12 men and/or women hear the evidence.
Juries judge the merits of the prosecutor’s case and the evidence backing it up to render a verdict of guilty or not guilty. They do not decide actual guilt versus innocence. The law assumes that defendants are innocent until proven guilty.
Danielle Elaine Mowery received one count of “Conspiracy, a felony . . . charging that (she) on or about July 23, 2024 . . . did unlawfully, willingly, and feloniously conspire with CHARLES JOHN NELSON JR, belonging to a conspiratorial group consisting of two or more persons, to commit the offense Delivery of a Controlled substance (Methamphetamine) . . . against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
Tyler Scott Rader received five counts. The first charges him with “Leaving the Scene of a Crash Involving Serious Bodily Injury, a Felony . . . on or about April 27, 2025 . . . did unlawfully, feloniously, and intentionally, after being involved in a crash resulting in serious bodily injury to Cayden Dodson . . . failed to immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of a crash . . . and failed to return to and remain at the scene until he or she has complied with the requirements (of the law) when they knew or had reason to believe that another person had suffered physical injury in said crash, against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The second count charges Rader committed “Subornation of Perjury, a Felony . . . (by) unlawfully, willingly, and feloniously induces or procures another person to testify falsely . . . TYLER SCOTT RADER did induce the victim . . . Cayden Dodson, to give false testimony in the trial of this matter to get his felony case dismissed against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The third count alleges “Reckless Driving, a Misdemeanor . . . (Rader) did unlawfully drive a vehicle upon any street or highway . . .in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property, against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The fourth count alleges “Driving While License Suspended, a Misdemeanor . . . against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The fifth count alleges “Obstructing an Officer, a Misdemeanor . . . on or about May 1, 2025 . . . (he) did unlawfully, by threats, menaces, acts, or otherwise, forcibly . . . hinder . . . Chief Deputy J.J. Dempsey . . . against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
Matthew Glen Jenkins received four counts. The first alleges “Strangulation, a Felony . . . on or about the 31st day of March 2025 . . . (he) did unlawfully and feloniously strangle another without that person’s consent and thereby did cause the other person bodily injury or loss of consciousness . . . against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The second count alleges “Grand Larceny, a Felony . . . charging that on or about the 31st day of March 2025 . . . (he) did unlawfully and feloniously steal, take, and carry away . . . goods . . . belonging to another with the intent to permanently deprive the owner thereof . . . against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The third count alleges “Domestic Battery, a Misdemeanor . . . charging that (he) did unlawfully and intentionally cause physical harm to their family or household member . . . against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The fourth count alleges “Destruction of Property, a Misdemeanor . . . on or about the 31st day of March 2025 (he) did unlawfully destroy, injure, or deface property . . . to wit a pair of seeing eyeglasses . . . having a value of less than $2,500 against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
Ruben Alejandre received three counts. The first alleges “Soliciting a Minor Via Computer, a Felony . . . on or about . . . January 2025 (he) did unlawfully, knowingly, and feloniously, being a person over 18 years of age . . . use a computer to solicit, entice, seduce, or lure or attempt to solicit, entice, seduce, or lure a minor known or believed to be at least four years younger than the person using the computer . . . to commit any illegal act . . . against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The second count alleges the crime “Produce and Possession of Child Erotica, a Misdemeanor . . .on or about . . . January 2025 (he) did unlawfully, knowingly, and intentionally produce and possess visual portrayals of a minor . . . (1) Unrelated to the sale of a commercially available legal product and (2) used for purely prurient purposes, against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The third count alleges “Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, a Misdemeanor . . . on or about . . . January 2025 (he) unlawfully and knowingly . . . contribute to the delinquency of a child against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
Charles John Nelson, Jr. received two counts. The first count alleges “Possession With Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance, a Felony . . . on or about august 5, 2024 . . . (he) did unlawfully possess with intent to deliver a controlled substance, to wit: Methamphetamine . . . against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
The second count alleges “Conspiracy, a Felony . . . on or about July 23, 2024 (he) did unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously conspire with DANIELLE ELAINE MOWERY, belonging to a conspiratorial group of two or more persons, to commit the offense of Delivery of a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine) against the peace and dignity of the State of West Virginia.”
