From staff reports

HARRISVILLE — Four people charged in the theft of an excavator they allegedly planned to use to remove a truck stuck in a creek were among 27 people indicted this week by the Ritchie County Grand Jury, according to a press release from Prosecutor Samuel C. Rogers II.

Joseph T. Cunningham, 46, 622 Pine Low Gap Road, Harrisville; Kristy L. Echard, 35, 41 Lowther St., Cairo; John A. Estep, 35, 189 Central Station, Parkersburg; and Jerry C. Jenkins II, 30, 191 Greenhouse Lane, Harrisville, were indicted on one count each of grand larceny, conspiracy to commit grand larceny, destruction of property, conspiracy to commit destruction of property, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and conspiracy to commit possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.

They were arrested, along with a juvenile male, in February after a caller reported seeing a Kobelco excavator being operated by three people. The individuals allegedly fled when the caller approached them, and he said the excavator appeared to have been hot-wired.

The tracks of the excavator led back to a truck with a flat tire that was stuck in a creek about a quarter of a mile from the job site from which the vehicle was taken, according to a criminal complaint. Two people were hiding in the truck, where deputies also found more than an ounce of methamphetamine.

Indictments are accusations, and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The grand jury also returned the following indictments:

* Cary L. Byrd, 31, 202 High St., Cairo, was indicted on a charge of child neglect creating risk of injury, from a March incident.

* Robert L. Carroll, 35, 361 Big Run, Salem, was indicted on charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and conspiracy to commit possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. The alleged crimes happened in June 2020.

* Misty D. Cottrill-Yohn, 36, 1911 Cypress Gardens Blvd., Winter Haven, Fla., was indicted on two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and one count of conspiracy to commit possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, all from May.

* Nathan A. Edwards, 42, 425 Orchard Ave., Harrisville, was indicted on two counts of child neglect creating risk of injury, two counts of possession of a controlled substance and one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, all from January 2020.

* Tiffany M. Farley, 43, 114 Market St., Pennsboro, was indicted on a charge of failure to provide notice of registration changes, from March.

* Harold G. Gibson Jr., 45, 1326 Myrtle St., Parkersburg, was indicted on charges of fleeing from an officer in a vehicle with reckless indifference, fleeing from an officer and possession of a controlled substance, all from March.

* Steven A. Hand, 35, 11 Scouten Hill Road, Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, was indicted on two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and one count each of fleeing from an officer in a vehicle with reckless indifference and conspiracy to commit possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. The alleged crimes occurred in May.

* Ashley D. Harris, 30, 335 Hickman St., Clarksburg, was indicted on charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and conspiracy to commit possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver from June 2020.

* Daniel B. Hickman, 41, 102 Orchard St., Pennsboro,was indicted on charges of breaking and entering and grand larceny from August through October and first-offense driving on a suspended license and possession of a controlled substance from November.

* Hali R. Hogue, 28, 158 Mykayla Lane, Apt. 203, Harrisville, was indicted on three counts each of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and conspiracy to commit possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, two counts of child neglect creating risk of injury and one count each of possession of fentanyl with intent to deliver and conspiracy to commit possession of fentanyl, all from June 2020.

* Steven M. Hogue, 30, 158 Mykayla Lane, Apt. 203, Harrisville, was indicted on three counts each of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and conspiracy to commit possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, two counts of child neglect creating risk of injury and one count each of possession of fentanyl with intent to deliver and conspiracy to commit possession of fentanyl, all from June 2020.

* Ronnie M. Hosey, 42, 186 Main St., Pullman, was indicted on a charge of third-offense driving on a license revoked for driving under the influence of alcohol. The alleged crime happened in June 2020.

* Asonte C. James, 21, 4 Greenfield Circle, Apt. 6, Freeport, Ill., was indicted on two counts each of counterfeiting and conspiracy to commit counterfeiting and one count each of possession of counterfeit with intent to utter and conspiracy to commit counterfeit with intent to utter, all from December.

* Ashley N. Lockhart, 28, 1326 Myrtle St., Parkersburg, was indicted on a charge of possession of a controlled substance from March.

* Tristan R. McGuire, 22, 435 Sugar Run Road, Pennsboro, was indicted on charges of attempt to commit delivery of a controlled substance and delivery of a controlled substance, both from November.

* David M. Messinger, 31, 77 Box Wood Lane, Berea, W.Va., was indicted on three counts of conspiracy to commit delivery of a controlled substance, two counts of delivery of a controlled substance and one count each of delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school and child neglect creating risk of injury. The alleged crimes occurred in December.

* Clarissa C. Mosley, 24, 9944 S. Parnell Ave., Chicago, was indicted on two counts each of counterfeiting and conspiracy to commit counterfeiting and one count each of possession of counterfeit with intent to utter and conspiracy to commit possession of counterfeit, all from December.

* Jason E. Oliver, 41, 559 Glendale Road, Cairo, was indicted on a charge of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. The alleged crime happened in January.

* Elijah D. Roberts, 35, 111 W. Lester Ave., Lebanon, Tennessee, was indicted on charges of transferring stolen property and grand larceny from March.

* John K. Roberts, 26, 211 Central City Road, Parkersburg, was indicted on charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, possession of stolen property and person prohibited from possessing firearms, all from January.

* Lisa D. Robinson, 50, 3560 Smithville Road, Harrisville, was indicted on two counts each of burglary and petit larceny from October.

* Steven R. Runnion, 53, 707 Camden Ave., Parkersburg, was indicted on charges of third-offense driving on a license revoked for DUI and person prohibited from possessing firearms. The alleged crimes happened in August.

* Jessica L. Walton, 30, 77 Box Wood Lane, Berea, was indicted on three counts each of conspiracy to commit delivery of a controlled substance, two counts of delivery of a controlled substance and one count each of delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school and child neglect creating risk of injury, all from December.