Man facing felony charges in West Virginia

A Barren Springs man was arrested this week in a multi-state roundup of Pagan Motorcycle Club members accused of criminal activity.
According to a Virginia State Police spokesman, 63-year-old Michael J. Grayson (also known as “White Bear”) was picked up at his residence on Tuesday on a felony kidnapping charge originating from Kanawha County, W.Va.
Grayson’s arrest was part of a federal and state investigation into the club’s activities, which prosecutors said included kidnapping, extortion and conspiracy to commit murder, according to a Charleston Daily Mail article. Forty-five club members were arrested as part of the crackdown and a 44-count federal indictment, the Daily Mail reported.
After getting a search warrant for Grayson’s Depot Road residence, local police discovered what they believe to be 28 grams of methamphetamine worth $2,800, the VSP spokesman said. Grayson, though, wasn’t immediately charged in connection with the drugs to keep from interfering with his extradition to West Virginia in the kidnapping case. He could still eventually face local charges, the spokesman said.
In an unrelated case, two Roanoke residents were arrested this week as part of state police and Wythe County Sheriff’s Office investigation.
Corey Lee Hazzard, 26, and Twanda Robertson, 25, face numerous charges after police said they arranged a drug buy from the pair at an Austinville parking lot on Tuesday afternoon.
Hazzard was charged with possessing marijuana, being a felon with a firearm, possessing a firearm while possessing drugs, possessing a stolen firearm and conspiring to distribute crack cocaine. Robertson was charged with distributing crack cocaine, conspiring to distribute crack cocaine, possessing a firearm while possessing drugs, possessing a stolen firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Police said they found a .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol in the pair’s vehicle.
Their preliminary hearing dates have been set for Jan. 28, 2010, in Wythe County General District Court. If a judge finds probable cause on the felony charges against them, the cases will go to a grand jury for further consideration.
In other police news, the Sheriff’s Office with assistance by the state police executed a search warrant at 4 p.m. Thursday at a Johnny Lane residence in Crockett. They seized a methamphetamine lab and several grams of processed methamphetamine.
Arrested at the scene were John Randolph Lewis, 22, and Crystal Selene Sharitz, 28. They were charged with felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance with intent to distribute, felony possession of chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine and felony conspiracy to manufacture a schedule II controlled substance.
Lewis and Sharitz were transported to the New River Valley Regional Jail in Dublin. They are being held without bond.
In another case Thursday, the Sheriff’s Office arrested and charged 46-year-old Darnell Cundiff after an incident at a mobile home park on Galilee Church Road.
According to Chief Deputy Keith Dunagan, officers executed a search warrant at Cundiff’s home as the result of a previous call. The initial call alleged that someone in the mobile home park was trying to stab someone.
Dunagan said responding deputies were told that Cundiff had attempted to enter another resident’s home, threatened other residents and had attempted to stab one of the residents who disarmed him and took the knife. When Cundiff failed to answer the door, Dunagan said, deputies obtained a search warrant for his home and took Cundiff into custody.
Cundiff is charged with felony attempted malicious wounding, felony attempted breaking and entering and misdemeanor assault and battery. He is being held without bond at the regional jail.
—Staff report