(L-R) Corey Danielle Elizabeth Jones, Craig
Eugene Halfhill, Mitchell Ray Townsend
Yesterday at approximately 1:30 p.m. the Parkersburg Police
Department executed Search Warrants on three local
businesses simultaneously. All of the businesses have been
under investigation by the Detective Bureau for the alleged
sale of variations of K2, synthetic marijuana.
One search warrant was executed at Awesome Air (1519 Camden
Avenue) in south Parkersburg after detectives used an
undercover officer to purchase controlled substances from
the business on two occasions within the past month.
Detectives were able to determine through examination by the
West Virginia State Police Crime Lab that the items
purchased on both occasions were an illegal variation of K2.
A search of the business yesterday located over 100 packages of
substances that will undergo crime lab evaluation, and a
large amount of cash. The owner/operators of Awesome Air,
Corey Danielle Elizabeth Jones and Craig Eugene Halfhill,
were taken into custody and charged with one felony count of
possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance
each.
A second search warrant was executed at the Modern Adult
Book Store (2600 Ohio Avenue) in north Parkersburg.
Detectives utilized an undercover police officer to purchase
items from the business on two separate occasions within
the past month.
The item purchased on the first buy was
determined by the West Virginia State Police Crime Lab to be
an illegal variation of K2. The item purchased on the
second buy is still pending evaluation from the crime lab.
During the search of the business on this day, detectives
located and seized a significant amount of packaged
substances that will be sent to the crime lab to undergo
testing. A substantial amount of cash was also confiscated.
No arrests were made from this business with the
investigation ongoing.
A third search warrant was executed at M&K Novelties (1900
Murdoch Avenue) in north Parkersburg. Detectives utilized
an undercover police officer to make two purchases of a
controlled substance within the past month.
The crime lab
determined that both of the substances purchased by
detectives were an illegal variation of K2. Upon the search
of the business, detectives located several
hundred packages of substances that have previously been
identified by the crime lab as being an illegal variation of
K2, and a substantial amount of other items that will be
submitted for testing.
Also seized were hundreds of
containers of a white powdery substance that will be sent to
the crime lab for testing and a large amount of cash.
Detectives arrested Mitchell Ray Townsend, the owner of the
business, and charged him with one felony count of
possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.
Detectives suspect that the substances located at the
business were the motive for the April 17th robbery
involving David Jeffrey.
The investigation will continue with a massive amount of
evidence inventory still underway which is
expected to continue well into Friday. Additional arrests
are likely.
The Parkersburg Police S.W.A.T. team and the Parkersburg
Narcotics Task Force assisted in the operations. Wood
County Prosecutor Jason Wharton was also on scene to assist.
All three suspects were awaiting an appearance in Wood County
Magistrate Court.
|