BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Shady Spring man was arrested Sunday, April 13, at the Howard Johnson hotel on Harper Road after police responded to a third-party report of a possible domestic disturbance.
Authorities were alerted by an anonymous caller who reported hearing threats of violence and coercion coming from one of the hotel rooms. The caller stated they overheard a man telling a woman, “You won’t get your clothes or phone back until you have sex with me, and if you scream like that again I will kill you.”
Upon arrival, officers made contact with a man identified as Raymond Gilman in Room 218. Due to the nature of the report, Gilman was asked to step outside while officers checked the room. Inside, officers found a woman who was unclothed and covered in blood. She appeared emotionally distressed and told officers that Gilman had physically assaulted her.
The woman reported being slapped, punched, pinned against a wall, and threatened repeatedly. She also claimed Gilman shoved a washcloth in her mouth to muffle her screams and forcibly removed her clothing. She stated she was not free to leave the room and feared for her life.
Gilman was taken into custody and transported to the Beckley Police Department. During a recorded interview with detectives, Gilman admitted to slapping the woman, taking her clothes, making threats, and touching her inappropriately. He also acknowledged placing a washcloth in her mouth and later said he understood that his actions were wrong.
While preparing Gilman for transport to the Southern Regional Jail, officers discovered a bag containing a crystal-like substance, which Gilman identified as crystal methamphetamine. A field test confirmed the substance was meth, and additional quantities were found hidden in his clothing during a secondary search at the jail. The total weight of the drugs was approximately 8.97 grams—equivalent to about 90 doses.
Gilman now faces multiple charges including second-degree sexual assault, strangulation, kidnapping, domestic battery, and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.
