Published: May 16, 2008 11:25 pm         

Murder indictment returned in Fayette

FAYETTEVILLE — A Fayette County grand jury Friday returned a murder indictment stemming from the November 2007 death of a Glen Jean man.

The grand jury also indicted a man who escaped from a prison work camp last fall, as well as indicting a woman, a correctional officer at the time, charged with aiding his unauthorized departure from the premises.

Among the indictments handed up in Fayette County Circuit Court was one against Sonja Jones, a Florida resident who was 32 at the time she was arrested by State Police last winter and charged with the Nov. 4 first-degree murder of Arthur Thomas, 52, of Glen Jean.

According to State Police, Thomas was found dead in a half-bathroom inside his home. His nephew discovered the body, Sgt. Bill Scott said when Jones was arrested, and Jones was also present when the body was found.

Her fingerprints were positively identified on a piece of material wrapped around Thomas’ body, Scott said. At the time of Jones’ arrest, authorities didn’t reveal a manner of death, although they did term it “clearly homicide.” They also didn’t divulge a possible motive.

The exact nature of the relationship between Jones and Thomas was unknown.

Also indicted Friday were Robert Brady, who was charged with escape from custody of the commissioner of corrections, and Clarissa Johnson, who was charged with permitting escape.

On Nov. 29, Brady, a 35-year-old Lewisburg resident, escaped the Mount Olive Correctional Complex by feigning illness and not reporting for a work detail at the work camp, which allows 50 minimum-security inmates to perform community work, authorities said.

It wasn’t discovered that he was missing until more than five hours later.

Prior to Brady’s recapture by U.S. marshals in Boone County and eventual return to MOCC on Feb. 1, members of the Legislative Oversight Committee on Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority were told that some other MOCC staffers had been lax in maintaining security. At the time, Corrections Commissioner Jim Rubenstein stressed that the unidentified staffers didn’t aid in the escape, but merely lapsed in their assigned duties.

Johnson, 35, of Summersville, was terminated from her correctional officer post for allegedly assisting Brady’s escape.

The remainder of Friday’s indictments follows. The prosecutor’s office does not provide ages and addresses for those indicted.

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The following individuals are to report at 9 a.m. Friday, May 23, before Circuit Judge Paul M. Blake in the courtroom of the Fayette County Courthouse Annex for arraignment:

- Peggy Angel, embezzlement.

- Michael J. Bennett, manufacturing a controlled substance.

- Robert A. Brady, escape from custody of the commissioner of corrections.

- Manual Castanon II, third-offense driving under the influence of alcohol; second-offense driving while license revoked for driving under the influence of alcohol.

- Michael L. Coleman, breaking and entering, 3 counts; grand larceny, 2 counts; destruction of property causing a loss of value of more than $2,500; petit larceny; domestic battery; receiving stolen property, 2 counts; possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

- Tony J. Walker, breaking and entering, 4 counts; grand larceny, 2 counts; destruction of property causing a loss of value of more than $2,500; petit larceny.

- Demetran D. Gray, breaking and entering; grand larceny; receiving stolen property.

- Stephen M. Patterson, receiving stolen property.

- James M. Curry, forgery, 28 counts; uttering, 27 counts.

- Timothy P. Dotson, receiving stolen property; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

- James A. Young, receiving stolen property.

- Timothy P. Dotson, conspiracy to commit a felony; grand larceny; fleeing from an officer.

- Denver K. Gwinn, sexual assault in the second degree, 6 counts; sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian, 3 counts; sexual abuse in the first degree, 5 counts.

- Ashley Hall, conspiracy to commit a felony; delivery of a controlled substance, 2 counts.

- Jimmy Pennington, conspiracy to commit a felony; delivery of a controlled substance.

- Michael Payne, conspiracy to commit a felony; delivery of a controlled substance.

- Delmer C. Harrah II, manufacturing a controlled substance; possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver.

- James N. Higginbotham, sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian, 2 counts; sexual abuse in the first degree.

- Christopher A. Jarvis, conspiracy; delivery of a controlled substance.

- Ashley F. Salisbury, conspiracy; delivery of a controlled substance.

- Carl D. Jeffries Jr., welfare fraud.

- Sonja Jones, murder.

- Tracey A. McQueen, burglary, 5 counts; petit larceny, 3 counts; grand larceny; destruction of property

- Michael Pascocciello, delivery of a controlled substance, 2 counts.

- Keith D. Payne, burglary; domestic battery; obstructing an officer, 2 counts.

- Allison E. Phillips Jr., third-offense driving while license revoked for driving under the influence of alcohol.

- John D. Pritt, conspiracy to commit a felony; burglary; grand larceny.

- Tony W. Pritt, conspiracy to commit a felony; burglary; grand larceny.

- Jennifer K. Bass, aka Jennifer K. Pritt, conspiracy to commit a felony; burglary; grand larceny.

- Randall W. Scarbro, third-offense driving under the influence of alcohol.

- Michael L. Smailes, child neglect resulting in injury, 2 counts; no child restraint, 2 counts; reckless driving; passing in a no passing zone.

- Loretta Stroud, child neglect resulting in injury, 2 counts.

- Carol B. Taylor, possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver.

- Jacqueline D. Johnson Bumgarner, possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver.

- Robert G. Koch III, possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver.

- Thomas B. Underwood, burglary; petit larceny; battery; destruction of property.

- Leslie S. Watkins, delivery of a controlled substance.

- Mary Ann Zink, aka Mary Ann Brown, aka Mary Ann Maynor, aka Mary Ann Williams, third-offense driving under the influence of alcohol; third-offense driving while license revoked for driving under the influence of alcohol.

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The following individuals are to report at 1 p.m. Friday, May 23, before Circuit Judge John Hatcher in the courtroom of the Fayette County Courthouse for arraignment:

- Michael L. Barron, possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver, 2 counts.

- Raymond E. Bickley Jr., sexual assault in the first degree; sexual assault in the second degree, 33 counts; incest, 34 counts; sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian, 34 counts; sexual abuse in the first degree.

- John B. Brown IV, destruction of property causing a loss of a value of more than $2,500.

Sandra K. Brown, destruction of property causing a loss of a value of more than $2,500.

- J.T. Carter, forgery, 12 counts; uttering, 12 counts; computer fraud, 3 counts.

- Jason M. Cruz, delivery of a controlled substance.

- Stephen L. Dequasie, delivery of a controlled substance, 3 counts.

- Christopher M. Wood, delivery of a controlled substance.

- Aaron M. Dorsey, grand larceny; entering without breaking; petit larceny, 3 counts; burglary.

- Macon J. Fragale, conspiracy to commit a felony; possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver.

- Cheyenne Fragale, conspiracy to commit a felony; possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver.

- Johnny A. Glassburn, manufacturing a controlled substance, 3 counts.

- Tammy L. Glassburn, manufacturing a controlled substance, 3 counts.

- James A. Grimmett, burglary; assault.

- Steven W. Haggerty, manufacturing a controlled substance.

- Haymond J. Hanshaw, fleeing from an officer in a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol; driving under the influence of alcohol; second-offense driving while license revoked; destruction of property; failure to stop; driving left of center of roadway; obstructing an officer.

- Chester M. Hayes, third-offense driving while license revoked for driving under the influence of alcohol; fleeing from an officer in a vehicle; fleeing from an officer on foot; reckless driving.

- Justin C. Hundley, manufacturing a controlled substance; possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver.

- Annette M. Johnson, possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver.

- August Moore Jr., possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver.

- Clarissa D. Johnson, permitting escape.

- Jason Lambert, delivery of a controlled substance.

- Lisa R. Meier, possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver.

- Shawn Patton, second-offense petit larceny.

- Nathan Pennington, delivery of a controlled substance, 3 counts.

- Steven L. Pozzie, possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver.

- Carolyn D. Jeffries Ruff, welfare fraud.

- Carolyn Ruff, fraudulent use of a credit card, 2 counts; taking the identity of another person, 2 counts.

- Carolyn Ruff, obtaining possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception or subterfuge, 2 counts.

- Linda S. Sigler, aka Linda S. Mullins, third-offense driving under the influence of alcohol.

- Richard L. Stanley, sexual abuse in the first degree, 12 counts; sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian, 16 counts; sexual assault in the first degree, 4 counts.

- Richard L. Stanley, sexual abuse in the first degree, 13 counts; sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian, 13 counts.

- Daemian L. Thompson, sexual assault in the second degree; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; contributing to the delinquency of a child, 2 counts.

- Deseria D. Ward, malicious wounding; wanton endangerment involving a firearm, 2 counts.

- Jason M. Yoder, child abuse resulting in bodily injury.