MAGOFFIN COUNTY MAN AND JOHNSON COUNTY WOMAN ARE ARRESTED SEPARATELY AFTER REPORT ON BRAWL ON CITY BRIDGE IN PAINTSVILLE LEADS TO DRUG AND COUNTERFEITING CHARGES
CASE NUMBER ONE: TRAVIS M. HOWARD, 29, OF SALYERSVILLE, KY., AND SAMANTHA L. GRIM, 40, OF FLAT GAP, KY., WERE ARRESTED ON SEPARATE CHARGES AFTER THEY WERE REPORTEDLY INVOLVED IN A BRAWL WITH OTHER INDIVIDUALS ON A BRIDGE IN PAINTSVILLE ON SUNDAY NIGHT, JULY 16.
A report of two men fighting on the Veterans Memorial Bridge in the city of Paintsville leads to two separate arrests on meth trafficking and counterfeiting charges, according to the Paintsville Police Department.
According to Johnson County court documents, on early Sunday night, July 16; their were multiple reports on the altercations, included that of an unrelated witness who stated he saw Travis M. Howard, 29, of Left Hand Sugar Camp Road, of Salyersville, KY., in the altercation and gave his nickname, “Trip,” to identify him. The witness advised Paintsville Police Department officer Tyler Cable that he couldn’t identify the other individuals in the altercation, but that there were females involved as well that seemed to “have more fight in them” than the men involved, the citation said.
The arrest report citation said that Travis Howard had gone over the hill and was attempting to dig ginseng near Paint Creek, and it was he who told officers that he was the one involved in the altercation and that he had struck the other man in self defense. Officer Tyler Cable noted that Travis Howard had involuntary movement of his arms and legs and slurred speech and he seemed to be under the influence, and Travis Howard advised officer Cable that he “did smoke weed earlier.”
A search of Travis Howard’s person led to the discovery of approximately $520 in counterfeit money in his pants pocket, the citation said, to which Travis Howard told officer Cable that he had the money because he wanted to feel like a “balla,” but that he had no intentions to use the money. Officer Cable advised Travis Howard that the money had “movie prop” written on it, and Travis Howard advised officer Cable that he had gotten the money from the website wish.com and stated to officer Cable that he would be, to quote as written in the arrest citation report
“would be amazed what you can buy from that website.”
“would be amazed what you can buy from that website.”
Travis Howard was subsequently arrested by officer Tyler Cable on charges of: PROHIBIT COMMERCE COUNTERFEIT GOODS & SERVICES > 25 ITEMS, 1ST OFFENSE; *PUBLIC INTOXICATION-CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE (EXCLUDES ALCOHOL) and lodged in the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center.
Following up on the other individuals involved in the altercation, officer Tyler Cable said that he knew Samantha L. Grim, 40, of Billy Salyers Branch, of Flat Gap, KY., had left the fight scene and was advised that she had by Travis Howard, leading officer Cable and fellow Paintsville Police Department officer Bradley to follow up at her apartment at The Opportunity House.
The arrest citation said that the unit in which Samantha Grim was staying had been the subject of complaints of illegal activity and elevated traffic and that, when both officer Cable and of Bradley arrived, they immediately saw Samantha Grim leaving the apartment and stopped her to ask if she would speak with them about the allegations.
Samantha Grim told both of the officers that she wasn’t aware of any traffic in and out of the room, the arrest citation said, but she then gave the officers consent to search the apartment.
Once the officers were inside, they located the “bottom of a soda can” with what appeared to be methamphetamine in it in the closet, the arrest citation said, and officer Cable asked Samantha Grim if there was anything else inside the room. Ms. Grim said there was not, but before starting the full search of the room, officer Tyler Cable said he accidentally stepped on a “clear glass smoking pipe that had a crystal like substance” in it under the bed, according to the citation.
Both officers Cable and Bradley then asked if they could search Stephanie Grim’s backpack, the arrest citation said, to which she gave permission to them to do so, throwing the bag on the bed.
A search of the bag led to the discovery of several needles, some “loaded” and some used, more “baggies” with the crystalline white substance in them in a glasses case, an orange pill bottle with more bags containing the substance, believed to be methamphetamine, and another bag with the substance, which accounted for approximately 13 grams total of suspected methamphetamine, according to the citation.
The search also yielded marijuana, scales & a rubber smoking pipe with marijuana residue alongside three packaged suboxone strips, to which Samantha Grim said belonged to her and a “guy she was seeing named Travis,” the arrest citation said, and also directed officers to another busted glass pipe in the drawer next to the bed.
Samantha Grim claimed ownership of all of the items recovered, the arrest citation said, and then Ms. Grim wrote an apology letter to The Opportunity House.
Samantha Grim was arrested and was charged with: *TRAFFICKING IN CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, 1ST DEGREE, 1ST OFFENSE – (> OR = 2 GRAMS METHAMPHETAMINE), *DRUG PARAPHERNALIA – BUY/POSSESS, *POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA, *PRESCRIPTION CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE NOT PROPER CONTAINER 1ST OFFENSE; and lodged in the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center.
Travis Howard was arraigned on Monday July 17, entering a not-guilty plea, while no court dates have yet been set in Samantha Grim’s case.
Both Travis Howard and Samantha Grim had since been released from the BSRDC as of Tuesday, July 18, after they both posted their separate bonds for their release from the jail facility.
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MARTIN COUNTY, KY. MAN AND OHIO WOMAN ARRESTED AFTER FAILURE TO RETURN U-HAUL TRUCK RENTAL LEADS TO DISCOVERY OF DRUGS, GUNS, AND PARAPHERNALIA IN THEIR POSSESSION
CASE NUMBER TWO: JOHN J. PIAGGIO, 31, OF DEBORD, KY., & KAILHA MARIE GALLAGHER, 30, OF GROVE CITY, OHIO; WERE BOTH ARRESTED TOGETHER ON OVER DOZEN CHARGES, AFTER THEY WENT ROGUE WITH A U-HAUL, LEADING TO THEM GETTING BUSTED WITH DRUGS & TWO HANDGUNS, A NO-NO, SINCE BOTH OF THE PAIR WERE CONVICTED FELONS.
A Martin County man and a woman from Ohio were arrested on Monday, July 10, by Paintsville Police Department officers after an officer responded to a complaint that the pair were refusing to return a U-Haul truck and discovered marijuana, two handguns and drug paraphernalia, according to court documents.
The citation said that Paintsville Police Department officer Tyler Cable received a call about the U-Haul, which was supposed to have been returned; and shortly thereafter officer Cable discovered the vehicle in the Mayo Plaza in Paintsville.
When making contact with the individuals, John J. Piaggio, 31, of Sawmill Hollow, Debord, KY., and Kailha Marie Gallagher, 30, of Grove City, Ohio. Officer Tyler Cable noted in the citation that he smelled a “strong odor of marijuana” coming from John Piaggio. John Piaggio advised officer Cable that he had brought the marijuana from Ohio, and he then advised officer Cable that he had been to prison and was a convicted felon, the citation said.
John Piaggio further advised Cable that he did not have his driver’s license in his possession, and Paintsville 911 Dispatch confirmed that John Piaggio’s license was suspended before Mr Piaggio gave permission to search the vehicle, the arrest citation said, and was advised that “nothing should be inside the vehicle.”
The search yielded a glass pipe with a “clear, crystal like white substance” in it inside the center console of the vehicle, alongside a handgun in Kailha Gallagher’s purse and another handgun wrapped up in tissue paper inside of another bag, according to the arrest citation. Further searches led to the discovery of two more pipes within the vehicle, wrapped in tissue and in another bag under the driver’s seat, the arrest citation said.
According to the arrest citation, John Piaggio, and Kailha Gallagher had written on the outside of the U-Haul and the identifying numbers on the back of the truck had been spray-painted over with white paint.
John J. Piaggio was charged with: *UNAUTHORIZED USE OF MOTOR VEHICLE-1ST OFFENSE, *TRAFFICKING IN MARIJUANA ( LESS THAN 8 OZ.) 1ST OFFENSE, *DRUG PARAPHERNALIA – BUY/POSSESS, *POSSESSION OF HANDGUN BY CONVICTED FELON, *OPERATING ON SUSPENDED OR REVOKED OPERATORS LICENSE, *NO OPERATORS-MOPED LICENSE, *CRIMINAL MISCHIEF 2ND DEGREE, *MENACING; while Kailha Marie Gallagher was arrested and was charged with: *UNAUTHORIZED USE OF MOTOR VEHICLE-1ST OFFENSE, *TRAFFICKING IN MARIJUANA ( LESS THAN 8 OZ.) 1ST OFFENSE, *DRUG PARAPHERNALIA – BUY/ POSSESS, *POSSESSION OF HANDGUN BY CONVICTED FELON, *CRIMINAL MISCHIEF 2ND DEGREE, *MENACING
Both John Piaggio and Kailha Gallagher were transported to and lodged in the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center. A preliminary hearing in both of their cases was set for July 19.
John Piaggio, and Kailha Gallagher were both released from the BSRDC a couple days later after they both separately posted their bonds to be let go out of jail.
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