Opinion ID: 1286606
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Calhoun County Charges

Text: Regarding the charges brought in Calhoun County, West Virginia, James Bub Jones, one of the passengers in the vehicle that was stopped in Braxton County, gave the West Virginia State Police consent to search his residence, which was located in Calhoun County. Trooper First Class J.B. Hunt of the West Virginia State Police was stationed at the Grantsville Detachment in Calhoun County. He testified that he received the consent to search signed by James M. Jones. Trooper Hunt further testified that he also obtained a search warrant to search Mr. Jones's home. Trooper Hunt stated that he assisted in executing the search of Mr. Jones's home. He stated that the troopers found a set of Ohaus balance beam scales, a gym bag containing several items that belonged to the Appellant, including an expired West Virginia operator's license belonging to Danny Minigh, three spoons with white powder on them, and stained coffee filters. The troopers also found during the search, which included the area beneath Mr. Jones's home, a pharmaceutical and nursing book, syringes, plastic containers, tubing that was stained brown, a chemistry beaker with a brown substance in it, jars with tubing coming out of them, and a glass jar with a yellow substance in it, among other evidence. Trooper Hunt testified that all of these materials, which were identified in various photographs, were methamphetamine precursors. A separate search warrant was also obtained for an outbuilding located on Mr. Jones's property near his home. Trooper Hunt testified that there they found metal tubing, brass tubing, and match sticks soaking in solvent. They also found stained coffee filters and a Coke bottle with a substance in it. Corporal D.P. Starcher of the West Virginia State Police also testified about finding a jug of muriatic acid and additional coffee filters with stains consistent with iodine or some other chemical during the search of the outbuilding. Like Trooper Hunt's testimony, Corporal Starcher's testified about finding evidence in the outbuilding that included copper tubing, a jug, which had the striker plates off of matchbooks soaking in a solvent, and stained gloves. Corporal Starcher further stated that he smelled the strong odor of iodine and other materials that are used in the manufacture of methamphetamine. Additionally, First Lieutenant Michael Goff of the West Virginia State Police, an expert on methamphetamine, testified that he took part in the investigation of Mr. Jones's residence. Lieutenant Goff testified regarding all the material found at the Jones residence and explained how the material was used in the production of methamphetamine. Lieutenant Goff opined that the items were being used to manufacture methamphetamine, and that the collection of the items found underneath Mr. Jones's house constituted a methamphetamine lab. Lieutenant Goff also testified regarding a stipulation that was introduced into evidence regarding the chemist's report from the West Virginia State Police lab. The chemist was unable to testify due to being on maternity leave; however, Lieutenant Goff testified that the stipulated report indicated that at least one of the samples obtained during the search of Mr. Jones's home was methamphetamine. Additionally, the remaining samples that were analyzed were chemicals that are used in the process of manufacturing methamphetamine. James M. Bub Jones also testified at trial. He stated that he had pleaded guilty to conspiracy as a co-conspirator with the Appellant. During the Appellant's trial, however, Mr. Jones denied any knowledge of the items found at his house, with the exception of the copper tubing located in the out-building, which Mr. Jones stated belonged to him. Mr. Jones further denied making methamphetamine or using the drug. Mr. Jones testified that the Appellant was residing at his home and that the Appellant had purchased the various methamphetamine precursors found in the vehicle during the Braxton County stop on the day of the stop. Mr. Jones testified that even though he didn't know what a meth lab was, there might be one at his house. Mr. Jones also testified that he bought some of the pills on the trip with the Appellant and Mr. Dusky. Finally, David Charles Phares II, an inmate at the correctional facility located at Pruntytown, West Virginia, testified for the Appellant. Mr. Phares stated that he met Mr. Jones in July 2004, when Mr. Jones tried to get him to move a meth lab from his residence in Calhoun County to Gilmer County, West Virginia. Mr. Phares testified that Mr. Jones asked him to help him move the meth lab because of a prior search done of his residence. The Appellant was indicted in Calhoun County for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, operating a clandestine laboratory, and manufacturing a controlled substance. [6] He was ultimately convicted of the sole count of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine.