×

County sheriff’s office announces drug convictions

NEW CUMBERLAND — The Hancock County Sheriff’s Department has announced two convictions in relation to drug offenses investigated by the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force.

Frank A. Bragg Jr., 41, of Chester, and Michelle L. Chaney, 32, of Newell were sentenced by 1st Judicial Circuit Court Judge Jason Cuomo on Thursday.

Bragg was sentenced to between two and 30 years in the state penitentiary after pleading guilty to one count of delivery of cocaine and one count of conspiracy to deliver cocaine.

The convictions stem from an August 2017 investigation where Bragg and his girlfriend, Laurena Boso, 24, of Chester, were sharing a home in Newell. The task force used a confidential source to make several controlled purchases of cocaine from Bragg and Boso out of the Newell residence.

As part of his sentencing, Bragg was given two weeks to self-report to the West Virginia Northern Regional Jail in Moundsville.

Boso previously entered a plea to conspiracy to deliver cocaine, and is awaiting sentencing.

Chaney was sentenced to between two and five years in prison for her involvement in a heroin investigation in October 2016, according to the sheriff’s department.

The investigation showed, during the fall of 2016, Chaney, Amber Leaisure, 35, and Jessica Boyd-Custer, 37, both of Newell, as well as others, conspired to distribute heroin out of Boyd-Custer’s residence on Grant Street in Newell.

Chaney plead to one count of conspiracy to deliver heroin and was to self-report on Friday.

Leaisure and Boyd-Custer previously entered guilty pleas to similar charges and were sentenced to probation.

According to information from the sheriff’s department, both Bragg and Chaney have previous criminal histories, which contributed to their prison sentences.

The Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force is comprised of representatives of the sheriff’s departments in Hancock and Brooke counties, the Weirton Police Department, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the West Virginia State Police.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.73/week.

Subscribe Today