Crack Cocaine

Six men charged in connection with crack cocaine dealing in Martinsburg and Berkeley County recently pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Martinsburg to distribution and possession charges, U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld II announced Tuesday. Two other individuals have pleaded guilty in unrelated cases to charges of bank fraud and abusive sexual contact, respectively, according to a news release. Tyrone Aaron Eldridge, 26, of Bunker Hill, W.Va., Heath Toddley Redman, 32, of Martinsburg, William Ronald Monroe, 32, and Vonzelle Wade Carey, 33, each pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of crack cocaine, according to Ihlenfeld's office.

Edgar Sayles objected to the racial composition of the jury pool, fired his lawyer and acted as his own attorney. But it took a Washington County Circuit Court jury only five minutes Thursday to convict him on two counts of distribution of crack cocaine. Sayles, 41, formerly of Hagerstown, had been charged by the Washington County Narcotics Task Force with selling crack cocaine to a confidential informant in April and May 2011. Before the trial, Assistant State's Attorney Viki Pauler said Sayles had prior drug convictions and could be sentenced to up to 40 years on the distribution charges.

The Washington County Narcotics Task Force Monday arrested two Hagerstown residents, including a convicted murderer, on drug-trafficking charges. Phillip Levar Bailey, 52, of 867 Virginia Ave., was charged with three counts each of distribution of crack cocaine, possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and conspiracy to distribute narcotics, along with single counts of maintaining a common nuisance and possession of controlled paraphernalia, according to court records.

A 52-year-old Martinsburg man faces a maximum sentence of 15 years to life in prison after he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld II announced Monday. Kevin Hairston pleaded guilty to the felony charge on Thursday, joining at least three prior felony convictions for crimes, including voluntary manslaughter and aggravated robbery, according to a news release from Ihlenfeld. The most recent conviction stems from Hairston's possession of a P-32 caliber semi-automatic pistol and three rounds of ammunition on Nov. 1, 2011, according to the release.

A Washington County Circuit Court jury Tuesday convicted a Hagerstown man of selling crack cocaine a short distance from the Hagerstown courthouse where the trial was held. Gregory Harris, 45, was found guilty of distribution of cocaine and possession of cocaine. Judge Donald E. Beachley sentenced Harris to 10 years in state prison without parole, according to Robert Veil, the supervising state's attorney for the Washington County Narcotics Task Force. “I think it's an adequate sentence,” Veil said.

Three Hagerstown men who were arrested Friday night at gunpoint by the Washington County Special Response Team following a 90-minute standoff at an apartment near City Park have been charged in connection with the incident. Jacob Malachi Adams, 21, of 220 East Ave., was charged with one count each of fourth-degree burglary, handgun on person, firearm possession with a felony conviction, possession of a firearm in a drug trafficking crime, controlled dangerous substance possession of firearms, controlled dangerous substance possession with intent to distribute narcotics and controlled dangerous substance possession - not marijuana, according to deputies at the Washington County Detention Center.

Male attacked with knife at Pa. Walmart CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - Pennsylvania State Police were looking for the person who assaulted a male Friday with a knife in the Walmart parking lot on Lincoln Way East in Chambersburg, Pa. An unknown person approached the victim as he was walking to his vehicle Friday at about 11:30 p.m., police said in a news release. Police said the person stopped the victim then slashed the victim with a knife, causing minor injury. Anyone with information may contact state police at 717-264-5161.

Thirteen people were sentenced recently in U.S. District Court in Martinsburg by Chief Judge John Preston Bailey. U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced that: • Tiffany Nicole Jones, 33, of Martinsburg, was sentenced Oct. 17 to 5 years in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release. Jones was convicted in April on one count of an Indictment charging her with the distribution of 13.5 grams of crack cocaine on April 10, 2008, in Martinsburg. • Rashid Dayshawn Robinson, aka “Day Day,” 33, of Martinsburg, was sentenced Oct. 18 to 12 years and 7 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release.

A Martinsburg man accused of assaulting a man early Wednesday at a club in Berkeley County was arraigned Friday on one count of malicious wounding, according to Berkeley County Magistrate Court documents. Jerome Daniel Redman of 621 N. High St. was also arraigned on one count of possession of a controlled substance, crack cocaine, with intent to deliver in an unrelated case, the court documents said. Alexander Taylor, the victim in the attack at Dub V Pub at 1544 Winchester Ave., was taken to City Hospital in Martinsburg and then transferred to Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Va., for treatment, the documents said.