Bluefield man arrested on multiple drug felonies
Mar. 9—By GREG JORDAN
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
PRINCETON — Felony charges including delivery of fentanyl and delivery of methamphetamine have been filed after law enforcement traced large quantities of these and other controlled substances from a Bluefield-area home.
Malik Deyquan Craighead, 28, of Bluefield has been charged with multiple felony counts including delivery of fentanyl, delivery of methamphetamine and delivery of cocaine, according to a criminal complaint filed in Mercer County Magistrate Court by Cpl. D.B. Whited of the West Virginia State Police Princeton detachment
Craighead was arraigned Wednesday before Magistrate Mike Crowder and remanded to the Southern Regional Jail in lieu of a $75,000 cash-only bond.
The case began Feb. 1 when a 2019 Toyota Camry arrived around 10:44 p.m. at an Emma Lane home near Bluefield.
Investigators watched Craighead come out of the residence "carrying an empty plastic bag and walks by the vehicle. While walking by the vehicle, Malik Craighead says something to the driver and walks out of camera range carrying the empty plastic bag," Whited said in the complaint.
At this time, the white female driver exited the driver's side and opened the trunk. Minutes later, Craighead "walked back into camera view carrying a full plastic bag" into another bag the driver" was holding, Whited said. The bags were then placed in the trunk. The Toyota left Emma Lane and was followed by undercover surveillance units.
On that same date, Trooper N.C. Patton with the Princeton detachment executed a traffic stop on the Toyota Camry from a window tint violation at a GoMart off Big Laurel Highway near Princeton, Whited said in the complaint. Patton detected the odor of marijuana and the driver stated she had marijuana and provided "two (2) plastic bags containing a green leafy substance consistent with marijuana."
"During a search a bag containing approximately 2,273 grams of a white crystalized substance believed to be methamphetamine was located in the trunk of the vehicle which was determined to have been obtained from Malik Craighead," Whited said in the report.
On Feb. 4 at around 11:17 p.m., a Hyundai SUV was observed at Craighead's Emma Lane home, Whited said.
The driver was seen going into the residence. The Hyundai was followed by undercover surveillance units when it left and Trooper J.B. Fox conducted a traffic stop for a speeding violation on Oakhurst Road near Bluefield.
"Subsequent to the traffic stop a consensual search of the vehicle was conducted at which time one (1) pound of methamphetamine, three (3) ounces of fentanyl and three (3) ounces of cocaine were located," Whited said in the criminal complaint. "According to the driver of the vehicle the aforementioned controlled substances were obtained from Malik Craighead."
Another incident was observed Feb. 26 at around 10:11 p.m. when members of the Southern Regional Drugs and Violent Crimes Task Force observed a Lincoln truck leaving Craighead's home, Whited said. Undercover surveillance followed the vehicle to the Maybeury area of McDowell County. A traffic stop was conducted by Cpl. D.T. Martin with the McDowell County Sheriff's Office.
"During the traffic stop a black vacuum sealed bag containing approximately one (1) pound of white crystalized substance consistent with methamphetamine and a black sealed bag containing approximately six (6) ounces of a white powder substance consistent with fentanyl were located in the vehicle," Whited said in the complaint. It was determined that the controlled substances had come from Craighead's residence.
On Feb. 27, at around 11:30 a.m., Southern Regional task force members watched a Toyota Tacoma stop at Craighead's home and watched him speak with the driver, Whited said.
The driver, who never left the vehicle, was handed an unknown item before leaving the area. Undercover surveillance followed the Tacoma to Interstate 77 northbound in Princeton.
Sgt. T.A. Bowers with the West Virginia State Police Parkways Division conducted a traffic stop at the 17-mile marker of I-77. During this traffic stop "a black vaccum sealed package containing approximately one (1) pound of a white crystalized substance consistent with methamphetamine and a black vacuum sealed bag containing approximately four (4) ounces of a white powder substance with fentanyl were located inside the vehicle, Whited said.
"It should be noted the undersigned Trooper has set forth only the facts necessary to establish probable cause to believe a violation of West Virginia State Code 60A-4-401 did occur," Whited said in the complaint.
No further details were released.
— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
