A sting operation set up by West Virginia State Police and a local contractor was successful in recovering about three-quarters of a quantity of tools stolen the night before from a construction site in White Sulphur Springs. The remaining stolen property is still being sought.
Sometime Monday night, on July 7, thieves broke into a contractor’s box trailer at a new home construction site in the Harts Run area of White Sulphur Springs making off with approximately $10,000 worth of tools. The theft was discovered the next morning by contractor Sam Albright when he saw the side door of his box trailer looked to have been pried opened with a crowbar and the contents of the trailer more than half empty.
When Albright contacted Sgt. WA. Pendelton with the State Police, he was advised to call local pawn shops and contractors to be on the alert for anyone selling tools. Within 15 minutes, a contractor called back to say he had been approached by two men and a young woman selling a trunkload of tools. Recognizing that the cache was likely Albright’s, the contractor said he knew someone who might want to buy the lot and then called Albright back. Albright called Pendelton again and together with Cpl. William Nestor, they made plans to meet the thieves in Lewisburg.
Albright, with Nestor in plain clothes, met the thieves in a prearranged location in the alley behind the Shuck Baptist Church on Washington Street where they engaged the thieves in a pretext to purchase the tools. Nestor shortly informed them of his identity as a police officer and with Sgt. Pendelton’s arrival, they were able to get a confession from them.
Arrested were Josh Bostic, in his 20s, and Ricky Duggan, 38 to 40 years of age, both from the Tuckahoe Road area of White Sulphur Springs. They were accompanied by Olivia Goslyn, 21, of Pocahontas County. Goslyn was released because the officers initially were led to believe she had not participated in the crime. However, they now believe she was the driver of the vehicle and are currently seeking to detain her.
The theft was confessed to be for the purchase of drugs. The three are charged with grand larceny.
