Woman attacked by yellow jackets while attempting to steal copper found guilty of felony crimes

MONTGOMERY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Fayette County judge has issued a guilty verdict Tuesday in the case of a woman involved in a theft/trespassing incident last year.

Anthony Ciliberti Jr., Prosecuting Attorney for Fayette County, reports that on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, Brittany A. McBrayer – 34 years old, formerly of Montgomery, WV – was found guilty of felony crimes including Conspiracy and Destruction of Property, as well as the misdemeanor crimes of Trespassing, following a two-day trial before Circuit Judge Paul M. Blake Jr.

Sentencing for these charges has been scheduled to take place on May 31, 2023, at 10:00am. McBrayer faces 2-15 years in prison for the aforementioned felony convictions and up to 6 months in jail for the trespassing conviction.

The charges stem from the investigation of an August 31, 2022 incident wherein a man was observed by a Montgomery WVU Tech employee carrying a woman on his back near the WVU Tech football field. The woman – later identified as McBrayer – appeared to have been wearing only a shirt and pair of panties.

When engaged, the man – identified as Christopher Hancock – advised that the female had been stung by yellow jackets and that he was taking her to receive medical treatment. The employee would proceed to the football field only to discover that an attempt had been made at stealing copper wiring from the lights and lighting system for the football field. This caused significant damage.

Copper wiring was also found to have been removed from the lights and lighting system, and a pair of bolt cutters were found still attached to partially cut wiring. Closer inspection revealed a yellow jacket’s nest in the damaged area.

A backpack, pair of jeans, pair of socks, and pair of shoes were also discovered by the employee to have been left behind during the incident. A subsequent search of the backpack revealed an additional pair of bolt cutters along with other tools and a cell phone. It was ultimately determined that the cell phone belonged to McBrayer.

The Montgomery Police Department investigated these crimes, and the case was prosecuted by Fayette County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Amy McLaughlin.