Tyler County Prosecutor Luke Furbee issued statements on the Courthouse steps on Tuesday morning concerning indictments and drug activity in Tyler County.

An additional 50 true bills were announced Tuesday morning by Tyler County Prosecutor Luke Furbee in a press conference on the courthouse steps.

They come from indictments from the June session of the grand jury that were previously sealed.

While individual charges were not released Tuesday, Furbee said the new charges are methamphetamine conspiracy indictments alleged to have occurred between October 2013 to February 2014.

The indictees are: Brandy I. Goding, 33, Temple Circle, Sistersville; Joshua R. Smith aka Lloyd Smith, 29, S. Chelsea Street, Sistersville; Kristen M. Cross, 21, Buck Run Road, Sistersville; William M. Wells, 24, Next Road, Sistersville; Amanda R. Long, 29, Ohio Street, New Martinsville; and Shirl N. Baker, 111, 34, Temple Circle, Sistersville.

When added to the 121 true bills previously returned and printed in last week’s Tyler Star News, the June 10 convention of the Tyler County grand jury resulted in 171 true bills to 21 individuals.

Furbee noted that the joint indictments encompass 148 counts of criminal activity related to methamphetamine manufacturing in Tyler County.

The charges are the result of an investigation by the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office which lasted over a year, noted Furbee. He thanked the hard work of the sheriff’s office and stated, “We are hopefully now in a position to make a positive impact on the scourge of meth affecting our community.”

The initial appearance of these individuals before the Tyler County Circuit Court has been scheduled for July 3.

Previously revealed and published was an unusual 98-count indictment against numerous individuals concerning the manufacture of methamphetamine. It charges the following people with the felony offense of conspiracy to commit an offense against the state by allegedly feloniously and unlawfully committing the felony offense of manufacturing of Schedule 11 controlled substance (methamphetamine) between October 2012 and September 2013:

-Benjamin W. Davis, 40, of Middlebourne

-Jeremy M. Keller, 35, of Third Street, Middlebourne

-Ryen M. Archer, 22, of Dodd Street, Middlebourne

-Marc A. Baker, 30, of Elk Fork Road, Middlebourne

-Christina L. Boor, 44, of Dodd Street, Middlebourne

-Shelly R. Davis aka Shelly R. Keller, 43, of Third Street, Middlebourne

-Dakota M. Folger, 18, of Fair Street, Middlebourne

-Tracy A. Keller, 46, of Dodd Street, Middlebourne

-Brock I. McMahon, 23, of West Main Street, Paden City

-Stephen D. Shepherd, 52, of Steele Street, Middlebourne

-Shirl N. Baker III, 34, of Temple Circle, Sistersville

“However, I am required to state that an indictment contains mere accusations, and those persons who are accused are presumed innocent by the law until determined to be guilty in court,” stated Furbee.

Additionally, other unlawful drug trafficking indictments were returned against two other individuals concerning delivery of a controlled substance:

Clifford Jackson, Jr., 53, South State Route 2, Sistersville, was indicted on a charge of Delivery of controlled substance (vicodin) three counts.

Jason Todd Shepherd, 31, formerly of Stealey Street, Middlebourne, has been indicted on one count of retaliation against a witness, and four counts of delivery of a controlled substance (Suboxone).