BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — Martin Circuit Court has formally charged a Dingess, West Virginia, man with multiple drug offenses stemming from his arrest last month in Warfield.

Sherman J. Vance III, 36, faces three felony and three misdemeanor charges: public intoxication controlled substances (excluding alcohol), possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and three counts of first-degree possession of a controlled substance involving methamphetamine, an unidentified drug and fentanyl.

According to the Oct. 8 information, prosecutors allege that on Sept. 23 Vance was in a public place “manifestly under the influence of a controlled substance or intoxicating substance to the degree that he was a danger to himself or others or property or unreasonably annoying to persons in his vicinity.” Authorities say he had marijuana, methamphetamine, an unidentified drug, three syringes, digital scales, and fentanyl in his possession.

Martin Circuit Judge J. Kevin Holbrook issued a summons for Vance and set his arraignment for Oct. 16.

Vance’s charges stem from an incident in Warfield after law enforcement received a call about a man “stripping down to his underwear” at a local business. Martin County Sheriff John Kirk responded to Warfield Auto Outlet and found Vance at the scene.

Kirk reported a strong odor of marijuana coming from Vance’s vehicle and observed the three syringes and digital scales in plain view. Vance allegedly admitted there was marijuana inside the vehicle.

A further search uncovered about 20 grams of marijuana in a container, a crystal substance believed to be methamphetamine wadded inside a $20 bill, four round pills Vance identified as Klonopin, and a powdery substance suspected to be fentanyl inside a metal container attached to his keychain.