Tyler County Courtroom

Three defendants appeared before Judge David W. Hummel for sentencing on Jan. 17 in the Tyler County Circuit Court.

Phillip Roberts, 33, of 316 Charles St., Sistersville, was sentenced to one to 10 years for forgery and one to 10 years for uttering. The sentences are to be served consecutively in the West Virginia Penitentiary for Men, which results in a sentence of two to 20 years.

Roberts was originally facing a nine-count indictment that included four counts each of forgery and uttering and one misdemeanor count of obtaining money by false pretenses. However, per plea agreement, he pleaded guilty only to one count each of forgery and uttering. Roberts was forging the signature of Charles Winslow and obtaining money from the BCWV Hospitality LLC account.

In addition to his sentence, Roberts is to pay all court appointed counsel fees and restitution in the amount of $15,000. Upon his discharge, Roberts will be placed on 48 months of unsupervised probation and will return to the Tyler County Circuit Court to hear the terms of his probation.

Roberts was remanded to the North Central Regional Jail to await transportation.

Joy Followay, 26, of 100 Copper Lane, Friendly, also appeared before Judge Hummel. Followay pleaded guilty to grand larceny on Nov. 30 for an incident that occurred on April 27, 2012. She, along with Charles Moore and Ronald Morgan, allegedly stole a Rheem Air Conditioning unit and an American Standard Air Conditioning unit belonging to the Trustees of the Tyler Southern Baptist Church.

Followay claimed that she only served as the lookout for Moore because she has two children with him and didn’t want him to go to jail. “I would never steal from God,” she stated.

Judge Hummel imposed and then suspended her sentence of one to 10 years with credit for time served for a period of 60 days. Followay will return before Judge Hummel on March 13 at 9 a.m. to review her sentencing. By the time of her return, restitution in the amount of $166.66 must be paid in full to the Trustees of the Tyler Southern Baptist Church.

George W. Jenkins, 62, of 404 Hardman Avenue, Middlebourne, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor offenses of driving under the influence, second offense.

Jenkins was originally indicted on the felony charge of driving under the influence, third offense, to have occurred in August. Prior to August, Jenkins was charged in June for the misdemeanor of second offense DUI. Per terms of his plea agreement, it was dropped to the lesser offense of two misdemeanor second offense driving under the influences.

Jenkins was placed on six months home incarceration for each charge which is to be served consecutively, resulting in one year of home incarceration with time served.