Deputy Jason Mathis of the Logan County Sheriff’s Department said he and other officers had been trying to find Bobby Lee Garretson Jr. for weeks, ever since a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Garretson, 42, was arrested in Logan County on Aug. 19 by several members of the Logan County Sheriff's Department for conspiracy and delivery of a controlled substance (second offense).
Garretson was booked at the Southwestern Regional Jail at Holden at 8:56 p.m.
According to police reports, on June 25, Garretson and co-defendant Marvin Henry Brown, 54 of Amherstdale, allegedly conspired to deliver crack cocaine to a confidential informant for $200 in cash at Garretson's own house in West Logan. A warrant was issued for the arrest of both men. Brown was taken into custody on August 4, 2009 and was charged with delivery of a controlled substance, conspiracy and parole violation charges.
Following Brown's arrest, police combed West Logan looking for Garretson.
"We have been hitting that alley pretty regularly, and we will hit it again this evening," Mathis said earlier Wednesday afternoon. "We feel we have come close to getting him a couple of times, but he has always managed to slip away."
West Logan Police Chief Robert Ward had accompanied deputies on searches for Garretson over the past two weeks and said he thought Garretson may have been planning on leaving the state to avoid capture.
"We have had a couple of thefts and break-ins within walking distance of his house over the past few weeks and there was some suspicion that Touche may have been responsible for them,"Chief Ward said. "He was our main suspect. We feel that he may have been trying to get enough money together to go to South Carolina or Ohio and hide out."
The Logan County Sheriff's Department and members of the US 119 Drug and Violent Crime Task Force converged on Garretson's house around 6 p.m. Wednesday evening when Garretson finally stopped running and hiding.
"At first he was pretending he was not in there and we told one of his brothers that we could get a warrant to search the place in less than five minutes. Shortly after that, Touche walked out and gave himself up," Mathis said. "We are glad to have him in custody because we have spent a lot of time and effort trying to bring him to justice."
Chief Ward said that Garretson may possibly face other charges. A few months earlier, Garretson was arrested after he allegedly stole some lottery tickets from a woman's purse at a business in West Logan and cashed them in.
"He only had so long to pay the victim back," Ward said. "Problem is, he never did make restitution and from what I understand the time frame to pay up may have ran out. So they may file that charge against him again because he basically thumbed his nose at the prosecutor and magistrate on that one."
Magistrate Jeff Lane was not amused and informed Garretson that he would place a hold on him because he was out on bond for petit larceny charges when he committed his most recent offense. Lane also set a $50,000 cash or surety bond on Garretson.
Lane said that in addition to a one to 15 year sentence and up to a $20,000 fine on the drug charge Garretson could face double penalties because it was his second offense on the same drug charge.
"That can possibly double the penalties to two to 30 years in prison and a $40,000 fine," Lane explained.
Garretson requested an attorney be appointed to handle his case and requested a preliminary hearing within 10 days.
On May 15, 2009, Garretson was arrested by the West Virginia State Police for petit larceny charges following the theft of the lottery tickets.
According to police reports on April 23, Bobby Garretson was on a security camera tape cashing in the lottery tickets.
Garretson was arrested in 2006 for probation violation charges after he failed a drug screening test. Garretson had entered a plea agreement for one count of petit larceny and two counts of obstructing an officer. On Feb. 24, 2006 Garretson reportedly "took tools from beside a trash can" and "was slow to get out of a car on order of a cop." At that time, Garretson was advised by his attorney Joe Spradling that the Habitual Criminal Act (Chapter 61, Article 11, Section 18 of the Code of Wet Virginia) might apply to him for any later conviction he might face.
Garretson had initially entered a guilty plea to Petit Larceny and was supposed to appear in court for sentencing on June 26 2006. When he found out that he had failed his drug screening he reportedly fled the courthouse before the hearing began. Court documents state that on April 26, 2006 Garretson tested positive for Cocaine, and that his probation officer believed that he violated the rules of his probation.
Garretson's arrest record goes back to arrests for destruction of property and battery on April 22, of 1995, fishing violations on May 8, 1992, shoplifting on Feb. 23, 1994, driving on a suspended license on Dec. 12, 1994, worthless checks on Sept. 1, 1999, breaking and entering on Dec. 12, 2004, grand larceny on Dec. 12, 2004, Burglary on April 12, 2003, domestic battery on June 4, 2003, petit larceny on June 22, 2003 and possession of a controlled substance on Oct. 26, 2005.
Garretson reportedly told police officers that he felt unfairly accused of some of his crimes saying he had only done half of what he was accused of.
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