BUCKHANNON – A Buckhannon woman was arrested on a felony retaliation charge after two officers arrested her on an outstanding warrant related to an alleged theft from the Clothes Closet.
Courtney Carrier, 32, of Buckhannon, was arrested Tuesday, April 30, for petit larceny, a misdemeanor; possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor; and retaliation against a public officer, a felony.
According to a criminal complaint in the Upshur County Magistrate Clerk’s Office filed by Patrolman Angel McCauley with the Buckhannon Police Department, on April 5, Carrier and another individual went to the Clothes Closet at 47 Sedgwick St., opened the bags of donations on the back porch, sifted through the clothes and took several items without permission and without paying for them.
After allegedly taking several items, they left other items scattered on the porch and took off on bikes. Employees of the Clothes Closet provided video surveillance footage and positive visual identification, McCauley’s report states.
According to an article published in April, Parish House director Alicia Rapking told My Buckhannon the Clothes Closet, which operates under the umbrella of the Parish House, had experienced an uptick in theft in recent months.
Several weeks after the alleged April 5 incident, BPD officers recognized Carrier and attempted to arrest her.
According to two additional criminal complaints in the magistrate clerk’s office filed by Sgt. Thomas Posey and Patrolman Tanner Collins with the BPD, on April 30, Posey and Collins were on routine patrol and saw Carrier walking by the West Virginia Wesleyan College baseball fields.
Collins was aware of an arrest warrant for Carrier. He stopped to talk with her while Posey confirmed through the E911 Upshur Comm Center that an outstanding warrant for petit larceny was still active.
When Posey learned it was, Carrier was subsequently taken into custody and her belongings were searched. The search allegedly produced multiple drug smoking devices, baggies and containers. According to the report, one of the bags and two of the containers contained a white crystalline substance, which later tested positive for methamphetamine, the files state.
Collins placed Carrier under arrest and informed her of her rights.
However, while transporting her to the Tygart Valley Regional Jail, Carrier allegedly became belligerent with Collins. According to Collins’ complaint, Carrier allegedly told Collins, “I swear to God if I could catch you out of your uniform, and [expletive] have a minute with you myself, Tanner. That’s what the [expletive] I wish, and you would not make it for a second!”
Magistrate Kay Hurst set bond at $2,500 for petit larceny, $2,500 for possession of a controlled substance and $25,000 for retaliation against a public officer. As of Saturday, Carrier was no longer listed as an inmate in the West Virginia Regional Jail’s online system.
If convicted, Carrier faces confinement in jail up to one year and/or a fine not to exceed $2,500 for the petit larceny charge; confinement in jail up to one year and a fine not to exceed $2,500 for the possession of a controlled substance charge; and confinement for not less than one year nor more than 10 years, a fine of not more than $2,000, or both, for the retaliation charge.
