BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — If you happened to lose a pouch of drugs inside the Martin County Government Center last week, Sheriff John Kirk had a message for you: call the sheriff’s office. He would be happy to help — and by “help,” he meant jail.

The odd episode began after hours April 16 when janitors found a yellow bag in the hallway of the government center and turned it over to Kirk.

By Friday, the sheriff had posted a photo of the pouch and its contents on social media with a message.

“If you are missing your dope, call the sheriff’s office,” Kirk wrote. “We are hoping to give it back to the rightful owner. It was found in the hallway at the government center. If you are the owner and want to claim it, we are willing to give you an all-expense-paid vacation at the Johnson County Hilton also known as BSRDC.”

According to Deputy David Adams, surveillance footage told the rest of the story.

Adams said the video showed Joshua Scott, 39, of Debord, dropping the yellow bag inside the building.

Inside were three clear plastic bags, two containing a white powder substance and one holding four round white pills, according to the arrest citation. Adams also reported finding a clear glass jar containing a piece of paper towel and one white oval pill believed to be Gabapentin.

Adams arrested Scott around 12:30 p.m. Monday on Nichols Street in Inez.

Scott is in the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center facing charges of first-degree possession of a controlled substance, first offense, and third-degree possession of a controlled substance.

All individuals are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.