WOOD COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A routine encounter with a Wood County deputy turned into a drug arrest after a man suspected of larceny asked for a ride into town — and ended up in jail with suspected fentanyl in his pocket.
Deputy B.H. Thornburg had stopped to speak with a man near 2363 Harris Highway on suspicion he may have been involved in a larceny reported at 306 Beeman Road. The man, identified as Christopher M. Williams, was cleared of involvement in the larceny but then asked the deputy for a ride into town.
While speaking with Williams, Deputy Thornburg noticed a used “tooter” straw — commonly used to inhale narcotics — sticking out of his jeans pocket. A subsequent search revealed a clear plastic baggie and a folded piece of foil, both containing a fine white powder. When questioned, Williams told the deputy the substance was “swerve” — street slang for fentanyl.
Deputy Thornburg, citing training and experience, believed the substance to be fentanyl, a powerful and dangerous Schedule II narcotic.
Williams was transported to the Wood County Holding Center. Upon arrival and a further search, another baggie of white powder was discovered in the back pocket of his sweatpants, worn beneath his jeans.
Authorities are respectfully requesting a charge under West Virginia Code 61-5-8(c)(1) for transporting a controlled substance into a jail facility.
