All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

Lewis County residents arrested for felony shoplifting after allegedly stealing laptop, cat food

Bland and Goff

BUCKHANNON – A Weston man and a Roanoke woman were arrested Wednesday on shoplifting charges after allegedly stealing a laptop from Aaron’s in 2020 and a bag of cat food and DVDs from Walmart in 2019.

Joshua Bland, 38, and Stephanie Goff, 29, were both arrested for shoplifting, third or subsequent offense, a felony, on Feb. 12.

According to several criminal complaints in the Upshur County Magistrate Clerk’s Office filed by investigating officers Lt. Doug Loudin and Patrolman Angel McCauley with the Buckhannon Police Department, most recently, Bland and Goff entered Aaron’s in Buckhannon on Jan. 22, 2020. Goff reportedly distracted the employee, while Bland allegedly concealed an HP laptop under his coat, and the two exited the store without paying for the laptop. The laptop’s value was estimated to be about $700, the file says.

When she was reviewing video footage of several cases at Walmart, McCauley saw footage of Bland and Goff from Aug. 19, 2019, during which Bland allegedly failed to ring up a bag of cat food. The report says he simply bagged the item, and they left the store.

Then, in footage from Aug. 20, 2019, McCauley reportedly saw Bland and Goff removing DVDs from Walmart without paying for them, the file says.

“After viewing the footage from the LP team at Walmart, in a video from August 20, 2019, I observed Joshua Bland selecting DVDs then entering the self-checkout. Joshua holds the two movies behind toilet paper and bag the items without scanning,” McCauley wrote in the complaint. The DVDs reportedly totaled about $10.

The file says Bland and Goff each have two previous shoplifting convictions, dated June 9, 2019 and Aug. 22, 2019.

Magistrate Kay Hurst set bail at $30,000 cash or surety for Bland and Goff, and the two remained in the Tygart Valley Regional Jail as of Friday afternoon.

The penalty for a conviction of shoplifting, third offense or subsequent offense, is imprisonment in the state penitentiary for one to 10 years, with one of the years being spent in actual confinement, and a fine ranging between $500 and $5,000.

Share this story:

Local Businesses

RECENT Stories

Moon Flower opens first satellite store at Delmonte Market in Elkins

Moon Flower Hemp, a woman-owned craft cannabis shop, is opening its first satellite location inside Elkins’s Delmonte Market, offering exclusive products, infused drinks, educational support and special perks for early customers.

Buckhannon Community Theatre’s ‘The Lion King Kids’ set to roar at Colonial Arts Center this weekend

Buckhannon Community Theatre will present Disney’s The Lion King Kids on June 20 and 21 at the Colonial Arts Center, showcasing young local talent in a family-friendly production directed by Ella McNeish.

Buckhannon Consolidated Public Works Board Agenda: June 26, 2025

The City of Buckhannon Consolidated Public Works Board has released the agenda for its upcoming June 26, 2025, meeting.

B-U’s Landon Marple earns All-State baseball honors

Buckhannon-Upshur senior Landon Marple, who led his team in multiple offensive categories, was named to the West Virginia Sports Writers Association Class AAAA All-State Baseball Team as an Honorable Mention.

WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital’s Kelly Povroznik earns certification in integrative and functional nutrition

Kelly Povroznik, Director of Food and Nutrition Services at WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital, has earned certification as an Integrative and Functional Nutrition Certified Practitioner, bringing advanced holistic nutrition expertise to her patients and community.

Upshur County Sheriff Mike Coffman says numerous community complaints led to vape shop raids

Community complaints about Upshur County vape shops selling to minors prompted a months-long investigation that led to multi-agency raids, seizure of $500,000 in illegal products, and an ongoing probe with arrests likely.

Buckhannon Banter: Get the local lowdown for June 19, 2025

Argo Books is launching a community co-op, the Upshur County Library has won a grant for new computer classes, Meals on Wheels needs volunteers, and Fish Hawk Acres has resumed ‘grab & go’ service but paused breakfast.

Weese family legacy burns bright as Brandon coaches Flame 304 to new growth

Brandon Weese is continuing his family’s Buckhannon-Upshur basketball legacy by coaching the Flame 304 girls travel team, which now features players from multiple counties and emphasizes both athletic and personal growth.

Upshur County pool splashes back from repairs, continues busy summer with activities, parties and night swims

After a multi-day closure for repairs, the Upshur County Pool is reopening with a packed summer schedule featuring lessons, parties, night swims, and new event packages, positioning it for one of its busiest seasons yet.