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New Martinsville man sentenced to prison

WHEELING – A New Martinsville man has been sentenced to 210 months in federal prison for soliciting child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey of the Northern District of West Virginia said in a news release Tuesday. The investigation began after a social media platform submitted a cyber tip to law enforcement reporting it had identified known child sexual abuse material, Harvey said. Investigators determined that Jon Talkington, 37, New Martinsville, had uploaded images and videos of the material to the platform in an effort to obtain additional files from other ...

W.Va. foster care lawsuit still alive after federal appeals court decision

CHARLESTON - A federal class action lawsuit filed during the administration of former governor Jim Justice challenging the condition of West Virginia's foster care system is alive again following a ruling Thursday. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a 2025 judgment issued by U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin dismissing a class-action lawsuit brought in 2019 on behalf of thousands of foster children in West Virginia. "Because federal courts not only have the authority, but also a duty, to remedy systemic constitutional rights violations, we ...

Pierce extradited, booked in Wood County in connection to Fleming case

PARKERSBURG - Preston Pierce, who has been charged in Wood County in connection with the murder of Gretchen Fleming, was extradited back to Parkersburg to face charges returned by a Wood County Grand Jury in May. Pierce has been held in custody in Buncombe County, N.C., since his arrest on ...

Ohio man sentenced to 12 years of prison for distributing over 40 pounds of drugs

CHARLESTON - Catra Nelson, 50, of Zanesville, Ohio was sentenced to 12 years in prison with five more years of supervised release on May 28. Nelson was sentenced for, “conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine,” according to a release from the Department of Justice. It was reported from Jan. 2020 to March 2021, Nelson and others distributed methamphetamine to the Parkersburg area. According to the release, Nelson was responsible for distributing over 40 pounds of methamphetamines. ...