BUCKHANNON — A man was arrested last week for allegedly possessing meth after a traffic stop near the Gould Road in Upshur County.
Scott Arthur Albee, age 59, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, a felony.
According to the criminal complaint, Upshur County Sheriff’s Deputy C.A. Forte was patrolling in the Sago Road area on February 9, 2023 when he observed a car driving with a fog light out. He turned around and pulled the car over on a traffic stop in the area of the Gould Road.
“Upon my initial contact with the defendant, himself and his front passenger were both sweating heavily and were both acting very nervous,” Forte wrote in the complaint. “When the defendant was attempting to hand me his identification and vehicle documents, his hands were shaking.”
According to the complaint, Forte asked for and received consent to search the vehicle. As Forte went to frisk the passenger for weapons, “I observed the defendant reaching into his right-hand pocket of his pants and pull out a clear baggie containing a large amount of white crystal-like substance. Unknowingly that I was observing him do this, the defendant proceeded to push the baggie containing the substance in between the driver seat and center console of the vehicle.”
The deputy retrieved the baggie and also found a glass smoking device and four Xanax pills from the vehicle.
“After speaking with the defendant, he admitted on [body camera] that he had picked up the large amount of methamphetamine in Flatwoods, WV and paid the amount of $300,” Forte wrote in the complaint. “The defendant also admitted that he was going to attempt to sell the methamphetamine to try and catch up on some of his bills that he was behind on.”
The baggie of meth weighted 12.68 grams, the complaint notes.
Both the defendant and passenger, who was not named in the complaint, were taken to the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office for processing and then to Tygart Valley Regional Jail.
Bond was set at $15,000. If convicted, the possible penalty for possession with intent to deliver is imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than 15 years, a fine of not more than $25,000, or both.
