BUCKHANNON – A Buckhannon woman was arrested over the weekend for allegedly using bank accounts and debit cards to make more than $1,200 in unauthorized purchases.
Victoria Streets, 38, was arrested for fraudulent use of an access device, a felony.
According to the criminal complaint in the Upshur County Magistrate Clerk’s Office filed by investigating officer Angel McCauley with the Buckhannon Police Department, on June 26, 2020, two individuals, a woman and a man, came to the police department to file a complaint stating Victoria Streets had been allegedly using their bank accounts and debit cards to make unauthorized purchases.
When McCauley reviewed the woman’s bank statement during the month of June, she found that six different transactions were allegedly performed without her knowledge or permission. The total amount taken from the woman was $239.62. Upon reviewing the man’s bank account during the month of May, police identified one unauthorized transaction in the amount of $10. However, during June, there were 46 separate transactions totaling $976.75
Bail was set at $10,000.
The penalty for a conviction of fraudulent use of an access device is a fine of not more than $10,000, confinement in the penitentiary for not more than 10 years or both.
In other unrelated crime news, Joshua Amelotte, 25, of Buckhannon, was arrested Monday, July 13, for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, methamphetamine, a felony.
According to the criminal complaint in the Upshur County Magistrate Clerk’s Office filed by investigating officer Tyler Gordon with the Upshur County Sheriff Department on May 23, 2020, Gordon saw a silver Pontiac Grand Am traveling west on Reger Avenue in Buckhannon.
Gordon had previous knowledge the vehicle was not registered and could possibly contain a wanted person. Upon advising the E911 Upshur County Communication Center of the license plate, the Comm Center reportedly informed Gordon the registration number had been reported as stolen.
Gordon and Cpl. V.J. Pyles of the Buckhannon detachment of the West Virginia State Police initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle as it turned north onto Lemon Street. According to the report, Gordon made contact with front passenger in the passenger side of the vehicle, later identified as Amelotte.
When he asked for ID from the passengers, Gordon saw two large sheathed knives, located next to the driver and the front passenger, Amelotte.
According to the report, Gordon asked the passenger to step out of the vehicle to perform a pat-down search for weapons. Gordon immediately recognized a needle in the front pants pocket of Amelotte. The complaint says Gordon located a small bag containing suspected methamphetamine in Amelotte’s pocket. When he performed a further probable cause search of the contents of the vehicle, Gordon located several unused bags, identical to the bags containing meth in Amelotte’s pocket, and a digital scale inside Amelotte’s belongings.
The file says Amelotte admitted to providing methamphetamine to friends in return for a place to stay. Amelotte granted consent to search his phone and Facebook messages. Gordon saw and photographed several messages indicating the defendant was actively and currently engaged in the sale of methamphetamine.
Bail was set at $20,000.
The penalty for a conviction of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance is confinement for not less than one year nor more than five years, a fine of not more than $15,000 or both.
