Early Friday morning, July 13, 2012, deputies with the Boone County Sheriff’s Office’s Special Response Team executed a search warrant in the Hewett area of Boone County, with the assistance of Madison City, the West Virginia State Police and the US 119 Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force. Officers entered the home located along Meadow Fork Road with the intent of searching for illegal prescription pills.

Once inside the residence, police encountered four adults and a four month old infant female. Also located inside the residence was a large amount the prescription pill Opana (oxymorphone) and US Currency.

Arrested were Christopher Ryan Ferrell, 27 years old, and Jessica Marie Elswick, 21, both from Hewett, and were living at the residence. The other two individuals arrested were Michael Maurice Mitchell, 27, from Detroit, Michigan and Marshall Darnell Taylor, 38, also of Detroit, Michigan. All individuals were charged with Possession with the Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance, Conspiracy and Child Neglect Creating the Substantial Risk of Injury, all felony charges.

Chief Deputy Chad Barker says “It is believed Ferrell and Elswick opened their home to the two men from Detroit, Michigan in exchange for cash and drugs and the four were flooding the area with the strong pain killer Opana”. It shall be noted that additional charges and arrests are likely in this matter.

At the time of this release, the four were awaiting arraignment by Magistrate C. Porter Snodgrass.