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Former teacher sentenced to more than 20 years for online enticement of a minor
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT LONDON — A former middle school teacher and basketball coach was sentenced Tuesday to more than 20 years in federal prison for the online enticement of a minor. William Goodson, 32, of Antioch, Tennessee, was sentenced to 246 months by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom. According to his plea agreement, Goodson…
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Inside the brutality of USP Big Sandy: Former prison lieutenant’s plea reveals culture of abuse
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN DEBORD — In a case that exposes the violent underbelly of the federal prison in Martin County, a former lieutenant at the United States Penitentiary Big Sandy has pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate inmates’ civil rights. The plea reveals chilling details of systemic abuse and a shadow policy targeting…
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Student injured in bathroom assault
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — A student at Martin County High School was hospitalized Monday after being assaulted in a school bathroom, his father said. The student, who suffered a concussion and facial injuries, was treated and released later that day. He is pursuing criminal charges against the alleged attacker. The incident occurred…
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Williamson man arrested for attempted murder
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — Police arrested a Williamson man Jan. 20 on charges of attempted murder and two counts of wanton endangerment after an altercation at his father’s home. Leonard Isaiah Young Jr., 27, faces additional charges of shooting a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, domestic assault, brandishing a weapon, and…
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Plea deal reduces severity of charges in child sexual abuse case
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — A 75-year-old Ohio man convicted of sexually abusing children was sentenced Thursday in Martin Circuit Court to three concurrent five-year prison terms, a result of a plea deal that reduced the severity of some charges. John D. Perry from Eastlake, Ohio, was sentenced for crimes that he admitted…
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Feud over alleged stolen pills turns physical
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN WARFIELD — Groundhog Hollow in Warfield was the scene of a family feud turned physical Friday—and it all allegedly started over “stolen” medication. Elwood Robertson, 44, landed in jail after an altercation that Martin County Sheriff John Kirk says escalated into violence. Robertson now faces charges of public intoxication of…
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Martin County arrest report
INEZ — Martin County Sheriff John Kirk’s Office reported the following arrests and charges: Donald Harris, 44, of Ulysses, was arrested Monday on Dry Fork in Inez for obscuring the identity of a machine. Chief Deputy Sheriff Chris Kidd made the arrest at 10 a.m. Teresa Marcum, 46, of Adams, and Clem Marcum Jr., 47, of…
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Ex-hospital CEO, former Williamson mayor sentenced for theft
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Ex-CEO of Williamson Memorial Hospital and former Williamson mayor Charles Hatfield was sentenced Thursday to five years of federal probation after he admitted he stole hospital funds. Hatfield, 62, was also ordered to pay restitution of $34,872 along with a $20,000 fine. He pleaded guilty in May 2024 in…
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Two arrested on murder charges in Pike County shooting
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT PIKEVILLE — Two men are in jail on murder charges following a Saturday morning shooting in Pike County that left one man dead, authorities said. Michael Brown, 41, of Feds Creek, is currently in the Southwest Virginia Regional Detention Center in Buchanan County, Virginia, awaiting extradition to Kentucky. The Buchanan County Sheriff’s…
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Officials warn locals of three fraud schemes
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN Three distinct fraud schemes surfaced in recent days prompting state and local officials to warn residents. UCC filing scam For those with Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) filings, a subtle scam disguised as bureaucratic routine emerged. According to Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams, residents with UCC-1 financing statements have been…