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Four indicted in Beverly armed robberies

From staff reports

MARIETTA — Four men accused of robbing two gas stations in July in Beverly were among those indicted by a Washington County Grand Jury.

The first robbery was at the Marathon station on July 5, with the second robbery at the Par Mar station occurred a little while later.

“This was a case where originally both people were indicted for robbery or complicity to robbery of the Par Mar store in Beverly,” said Washington County Assistant Prosecutor Jim Snyder. “It was essentially reported on the same night as the Marathon station was robbed, for which Edward Haynes and Michael Estee were indicted.”

He said the two robberies were not connected and it was determined and indicted accordingly that the Par Mar incident was a fake robbery coordinated by an employee of the store.

Robert Justin Wells, 37, of 3491 State Route 60, McConnelsville, and Luis Alfonso Ambrocio-Bautista, 34, of Beverly, were indicted on nine charges each stemming from the Par Mar incident. Bautista was an employee of the store at the time of the robbery. He allegedly talked Wells into committing the crime after hearing the description of a suspect in the Marathon robbery and trying to match that at the Par Mar so the other suspect would be blamed.

Wells was indicted on two counts of breaking and entering, both fifth-degree felonies; two counts of theft, both fifth-degree felonies; one count of theft, a first-degree misdemeanor; two counts of forgery, both fifth-degree felonies; one count of receiving stolen property, a fifth-degree felony; and one count of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony.

Some of the charges stem from Wells allegedly breaking into the Sherlock Oil Co. of Beverly and stealing cash and blank checks from the business on July 2. He was also charged with breaking into the Heritage Co-op Feed Store of Waterford and stealing cash and an iPad from the business on July 8. He and Bautista were both indicted on charges of stealing cash and tobacco products from the Par Mar store on July 5, as well as allegedly forging the signature of James Sherlock on the checks from Sherlock Oil at Lowe’s of south Parkersburg on July 3. They also allegedly forged the signature of James Sherlock on July 6 at Kroger in Marietta.

Wells also was indicted for receiving a stolen Ohio license plate, along with tampering with evidence on July 6 as he allegedly destroyed clothing and hid a weapon used in the Par Mar robbery.

His maximum sentence for these charges is 10.5 years in prison.

Bautista was indicted on one count of theft, a fifth-degree felony; two counts of forgery, both fifth-degree felonies; one count of complicity in theft, a fifth-degree felony; one count of trafficking in methamphetamine, a second-degree felony; one count of possession of methamphetamine, a third-degree felony; one count of possession of criminal tools, a fifth-degree felony; one count of having a weapon under disability, a third-degree felony; and one count of falsification in a theft offense, a fifth-degree felony.

His charge of complicity in theft stems from Bautista allegedly talking Wells into robbing the Par Mar store. When Bautista was arrested, he was found with 11.9 grams of methamphetamine, as well as the stolen checks, laptop computer, printer/scanner and ink used in the theft and forgery charges. During his arrest, officers found a Revelation Model 99 Revolver which was used in the robbery. Charges were also made against Bautista for having a weapon while having been convicted of a drug felony.

His maximum sentence for these charges is 20 years in prison.

Edward James Haynes, 28, of 388 Mechanic St., Macksburg, and Michael J. Estee, 33, of 304 High St., Senecaville, were both arrested on July 29 for the robberies at the Marathon station. They were each indicted on two counts of robbery, both second-degree offenses. Both Haynes and Estee face a maximum of 16 years in prison for these charges.

The grand jury also indicted:

* Phillip D. West Jr., 32, of 107 Hickory St., Powhatan Point, was indicted on one count of abusing harmful intoxicants, a fifth-degree felony. He was arrested on April 4 in Marietta for inhaling two aerosol cans of gas duster after having prior convictions of abusing harmful intoxicants.

* Robert H. Bailey, 61, of 753 Glendale Road Apt. 2, Marietta, was indicted on one count of failure to comply with order or signal of police officer, a third-degree felony. On June 25, Bailey reportedly operated a motor vehicle as to willfully elude or flee police after receiving a signal from the officer to stop.

* James F. O’Brien, 42, of 148 Warner St., Marietta, was indicted on three counts of domestic violence, two of which are fourth-degree felonies, while the third is a fifth-degree felony. The first count stems from an arrest on Jan. 6 in Marietta for allegedly causing harm to the victim after previously pleading guilty to domestic violence on Jan. 5, 2018. The second and third counts stem from an arrest on June 11 in Marietta where he allegedly caused harm to two other victims.

* Andrew Strock, 39, of 5509 Sixth Ave., Vienna, was indicted on one count of operation while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, a third-degree felony, and endangering children, a first-degree misdemeanor. The indictment stems from an arrest on Sept. 21, 2018, in Washington County, for driving while under the influence of alcohol. The grand jury found that Strock has been convicted or pleaded guilty to five or more equivalent offenses. The second count is for driving intoxicated with one or more children under the age of 18 in the vehicle.

* Sarah Moreno, 26, of 818 ¢ Chestnut St. #A, South Charleston, W.Va., was indicted on one count of improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony. The indictment stems from an arrest on July 6 after a traffic stop on Interstate 77 in Marietta. When the officer approached, they could smell the odor of raw marijuana coming from the interior of the vehicle and saw small pieces of the drug on the center console. During her pat-down, she surrendered a bag of marijuana and a West Virginia identification card. Moreno also advised there was a handgun, a Taurus G2C 9mm handgun, in her purse. The handgun had one round in the chamber and nine rounds in the magazine inserted into the gun.

* Brandon Solomon, 25, of 19 Amandaville Court, St. Albans, W.Va., was indicted on two counts, including improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony, and having weapons while under disability, a third-degree felony. The indictments stem from an arrest, along with Sarah Moreno, on July 6 after a traffic stop on Interstate 77 in Marietta. Solomon was in the passenger seat of Moreno’s vehicle and during the traffic stop, officers saw small pieces of marijuana on his shirt and pants. He was asked for identification and stated he did not have any. He gave the officer the name of Lavel Lamont Little Jr. The name was checked and the information came back to a person of that name from Detroit, Mich. When Moreno advised about the handgun, Solomon stated he was aware of it, but the gun belonged to Moreno. The trooper questioning Solomon was given the West Virginia identification card that Moreno had and the photograph matched Solomon, who was on federal probation and was not supposed to be out of the state of West Virginia. He also had prior felony drug convictions.

* Mark E. Macaulay, 38, of 2414 Norris Ave., Belpre, was indicted on four charges, including one count of aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a fifth-degree felony; possession of drug abuse instruments, a second-degree misdemeanor; one count of aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a fifth-degree felony; and one count of possession of heroin, a fifth-degree felony. The first two indictments stem from an arrest on Aug. 30, 2017, in Belpre, while the last two indictments stem from an arrest on July 31, 2017, in Belpre.

* Ricky L. Ridenour, 41, of 74 Oak St., Parkersburg, was indicted on two charges, including one count of trafficking fentanyl-related compound/major drug offender and one count of possession of fentanyl-related compound/major drug offender, both first-degree felonies. The indictments stem from an arrest on July 23 at the Baymont by Wyndham in Marietta. Ridenour, listed as a major drug offender, was allegedly found with an amount of drug that equals or exceeds 1,000 unit doses or equals or exceeds 100 grams. He forfeited $4,582 and a 2007 H3 Hummer, which was used to aid him with the drug traffcking.

* Amanda Leigh Grover, 39, of 74 Oak St., Parkersburg, was indicted on three charges, including one count of trafficking fentanyl-related compound/major drug offender and possession of fentanyl-related compound/major drug offender, both first-degree felonies; and one count of permitting drug abuse, a fifth-degree felony. She was arrested along with Ricky Ridenour on July 23 at the Baymont by Wyndham in Marietta. Grover, listed as a major drug offender, was allegedly found with an amount of drug that equals or exceeds 1,000 unit doses or equals or exceeds 100 grams. She was also charged with permitting drug abuse, as she was the person who was the hotel room occupant. Grover forfeited $4,582 and a different 2007 H3 Hummer.

* Jeremy Davis, 41, of 1072 Leith Run Road, New Matamoras, was indicted on one count of failure to appear, a fourth-degree felony. It stems from an arrest on Dec. 6, 2017, in New Matamoras for aggravated trafficking of 4.99 grams of methamphetamine, aggravated possession of 4.99 grams of methamphetamine and trafficking in drugs.

* Corrie A. Herman, 30, of 201 Westwood Way, Washington, W.Va., was indicted on four charges, including one count of receiving stolen property, a fourth-degree felony; one count of receiving stolen property, a first-degree misdemeanor; and two counts of carrying concealed weapon, both fourth-degree felonies. The indictment stems from an arrest on May 6 in Belpre. After being questioned by officers, Herman was found with a Smith and Wesson .38 pistol, a loaded Western Field .22 rifle and a loaded Smith and Wesson .38 revolver/handgun. The .38 pistol is believed to belong to Sybil Lockney and had been obtained through theft.

* Chequila Haislep, 25, of 1241 Blennerhassett Heights, Parkersburg, was indicted on one count of carrying a concealed weapon, a fourth-degree felony. Haislep was arrested on May 6, along with Corrie Herman, in Belpre. The concealed weapon was a loaded Western Field 22-caliber rifle.

* Timothy Ramey, 34, of 25 Terrapin Park Apartments, Parkersburg, was indicted on two charges, including one count of trafficking in fentanyl-related compounds, a third-degree felony, and one count of corrupting another with drugs, a second-degree felony. The indictments stem from an arrest on May 29 when Ramey allegedly sold the fentanyl to Cory Meeks. After Meeks took the drugs from Ramey, he refused to pay for them. Ramey then used a STAR 9mm handgun to shoot at Meeks’ residence. After Ramey left the scene, Meeks took the drugs and overdosed. He was given Narcan by the responding officer. The handgun, which belongs to Curtis Michael Benson, was subject to forfeit.

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