Sheriff Jeffrey D. Paden announced that on Wednesday afternoon October 26, 2022 Maggie Beth Adams , age 39 of West Virginia was found guilty following a two day jury trial in the Guernsey County Common Pleas Court. Adams was arrested in December of 2021 after a narcotics investigator from the Guernsey County Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division and assigned to the CODE Task Force, noticed suspicious behavior at a local gas station. The detective believing that he had witnessed a drug transaction between Adams and the driver of another vehicle in the business parking lot, contacted deputies with the Road Division and a deputy stopped the driver of the vehicle following a traffic violation. At this time the detective made contact with Adams. The deputy advised the detective that he had found a large amount of U.S. currency in the vehicle after obtaining consent to search the vehicle. At that time the detective requested the deputy seize the money and respond to his location with his K-9. The K-9 was deployed and nearly 500 grams of methamphetamine was located in Adams vehicle as well as nearly 16 grams of fentanyl and pills.
Adams was indicted by a grand jury earlier this year for Trafficking in Drugs, a felony of the first degree, Trafficking in Fentanyl related compound, a felony of the second degree, Aggravated Possession of Drugs, a felony of the first degree, and Possession of Fentanyl-related compound, a felony the second degree felony. Following the trial, Adams was convicted on all counts and was sentenced on Friday morning by Judge Daniel G. Padden to 18-23 years in prison.
This is the second largest sentence in Guernsey County in a little over a week. Sheriff Paden said that ” If the drug dealers are paying attention to these types of sentences, they better start!! If you want to sell drugs in our county we’re going to do everything in our legal authority to forfeit your property and you’re freedom.”
