BUCKHANNON – A man from New York City was arrested last week after allegedly possessing several types of illegal drugs, including opiates, in a hotel room.
Kyle Lewis, 31, of New York, NY, was arrested for obstructing an officer, a misdemeanor, and four charges of possession with intent to deliver, a felony.
According to the criminal complaint in the Upshur County Magistrate Clerk’s Office filed by investigating officer Chief Matthew Gregory of the Buckhannon Police Department, on Wednesday, March 3, while responding to assist city units on another call at the Bicentennial Inn, Gregory noticed a strong odor of marijuana coming from the hallway to right of the main steps.
Gregory asked Sgt. William Courtney with the BPD to verify the smell. After walking the hallway with Courtney in an effort to pinpoint the smell, it was decided to go to the front desk to inquire how many people were staying on that particular hallway. The clerk said there were only two in that hallway, one who just arrived that morning and a male in room 233, who had been there for a while.
According to the report, Gregory and Courtney approached room 233. Courtney knocked on the door and a male opened the door, at which point a strong odor of marijuana emanated from the room. Gregory asked the male subject to step out of the room, but he allegedly backed up and attempted to shut the door. Courtney then entered the room while the male subject backed away from the officers.
Gregory tried to place the male subject in handcuffs and he allegedly began to tense up and refused to put his hands behind his back. According to the report, after several attempts to get the male subject, later identified as Lewis, to stop resisting failed, he was taken to the ground, where his hands were cuffed. While inside the room, a green leafy residue was allegedly found on top of the dresser, as well as what appeared to be various drug-related paraphernalia located inside a clear plastic bag laying on top of the bed, the file says.
According to a related criminal complaint in the Upshur County Magistrate Clerk’s Office filed by investigating officer Cpl. Marshall O’Connor with the Buckhannon Police Department, officers with the Buckhannon Police Department served a warrant of room 233, and upon completing a search, officers located approximately 22 Amphetamine and Dextroamphetamine 20-mg pills with no valid prescription on scene. Officers also located approximately 71 grams of marijuana inside a backpack with approximately 25 grams of marijuana in the refrigerator.
Officers also reportedly located approximately 16 “Modalert 200” pills with no valid prescription on scene and approximately three grams of yellowish crystal rock-like substance. Field testing showed a positive indication of opiates such as heroin or MDMA, the police report says.
Bail was set at $41,500.
The penalty for a conviction of obstructing an officer is a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $500 or confinement in jail for not more than one year or both fined and confined. The penalty for a conviction of possession with intent to deliver is confinement in the state penitentiary for one to five years, a fine of up to $15,000 or both.
