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Law enforcement officers in Preston County, West Virginia, recovered over 100 grams of methamphetamine and fentanyl after pursuing two individuals on a motorcycle. The suspects attempted to flee but crashed, leading to their arrest. The driver, Gerald Wayne Sypolt, is charged with possession of narcotics with intent to distribute and fleeing with reckless indifference. The passenger, Sarah Ellen Baker, is charged with possession of narcotics with intent to distribute. Both are currently in custody. Baker also has previous charges related to drug possession and distribution. Erin Cleavenger, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va. reported
On August 7th, law enforcement officers in Preston County made a significant drug seizure, recovering more than 100 grams of methamphetamine and fentanyl following a brief pursuit of two individuals on a motorcycle. Deputy E.A. Mace of the Preston County Sheriff’s Department observed Gerald Wayne Sypolt and Sarah Ellen Baker riding west on Veterans Memorial Highway in Masontown. Noticing that the motorcycle’s registration had expired in 2015, Deputy Mace attempted to conduct a traffic stop by activating his lights and sirens. However, the driver accelerated, leading to a high-speed chase on Long Hollow Road.
During the pursuit, Sypolt and Baker attempted to turn into a residential driveway but crashed, causing both individuals to be thrown from the motorcycle. Sypolt then tried to regain control of the bike and drove towards Deputy Mace. Fortunately, another officer, Officer Queen, managed to stop the vehicle and apprehend Sypolt by forcibly removing him from the motorcycle.
Meanwhile, Baker, after initially attempting to flee on foot, was apprehended by Deputy Mace. She initially provided a false name, Paula Dalton, to the police. Sypolt, on the other hand, resisted arrest and engaged in a physical altercation with Officer Queen. In response, Deputy Mace used a taser to subdue Sypolt, who was subsequently taken into custody.
Upon searching Sypolt and Baker, officers discovered a large bag containing suspected methamphetamine. Further searches of their belongings revealed multiple smaller baggies of suspected methamphetamine, scales, and a significant number of empty baggies. A field test confirmed the presence of methamphetamine and fentanyl, both classified as schedule II narcotics. The total quantity of drugs seized amounted to 108.41 grams.
Sypolt now faces charges of possession of narcotics with intent to distribute and fleeing with reckless indifference. He is currently held at Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a bond of $250,000. Baker, on the other hand, is charged with possession of narcotics with intent to distribute and is also being held at Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a bond of $150,000.
Previous court records indicate that Baker was previously involved in a similar incident in Star City, Monongalia County, earlier this year. During a traffic stop in January, she was found in possession of crack cocaine, methamphetamine, alprazolam, and fentanyl. As a result, she faced four counts of possession with intent to distribute and four counts of conspiracy to distribute illegal drugs. Her bond for these previous charges has been reinstated at $75,000.
(Source: The Dominion Post).
