On April 14, 2020 Deputies were dispatched to the Walgreen’s Pharmacy in Cross Lanes to investigate a scam. The cashier said three males purchased four separate gift cards containing $500 dollars on each card. At the checkout the suspects told her she had to press the cash button on the register to process the payment since the cards were Global Cash Cards. When she pressed the cash button, the till opened, and it showed the payment went through. She soon realized the payment only appeared complete, because she pressed the cash button on the cash register, but by then the males had already left the store.
Deputy J. Ashcraft was able to view store video surveillance footage of the three suspects. All three suspects were black males. One male was medium build, had long black hair, and he was wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and grey shoes. The second male was medium build, had long black braided hair, and he was wearing a white hoodie, blue jeans, and white shoes. The third male was thin build, had black hair, and he was wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and white shoes.
Deputy Ashcraft learned a similar incident had also occurred at the Walgreen’s Pharmacy in St. Albans, and the suspects were described the same as those in his case. Later, Kanawha County Sheriff’s
Deputies were dispatched to the Walgreen’s Pharmacy near Belle, WV for suspicious people. Their descriptions matched the descriptions of the male suspects involved in the incidents at the Saint Albans and Cross Lanes Walgreen’s stores. Deputies responded to the scene and detained three black males and two black females that had arrived in a vehicle, a gold/beige 1997 Buick Park Avenue four-door car bearing Ohio registration HVR9382.
Deputies determined the males detained matched the descriptions of the suspects mentioned above in the video surveillance footage. The three black male suspects were identified as Jasper Skinner (18 years old), Desmion Hodo (18 years old), and Kerry Lyles (19 years old). The two black female suspects were identified as 16-year-old juveniles. All five are from the Flint, Michigan area, and each was charged criminally with the felony offenses of Entering Without Breaking and Grand Larceny.
As is always the case in criminal matters, the charges against each person is merely an accusation. Each is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The detailed descriptions of the persons and vehicle are being included so other law enforcement officers investigating similar crimes may be able to identify their suspects, too. Attached are mug shots of the three adults taken yesterday during their arrests.
