Preston Drug Bust Should Cause Boom

COUNTY WILL AUCTION SEIZED 1990 JAGUAR

KINGWOOD -- Generally, used cars in Preston County's auction of surplus
county goods don't bring more than $100, but this year should be different.

Tucked among the worn-out police cruisers and outdated computers will be a
shiny red, 1990 Jaguar XJS coupe. Its leather seats and V12 engine -- with
just 26,000 miles on the odometer -- are several steps above the $100 range.

The owner -- who was found carrying a gun and some cocaine -- forfeited the
car as part of a plea bargain, Preston Assistant Prosecutor Paul Estep said.

The owner, James Raffle, of Morgantown, was traveling on Interstate 68 last
year and ended up at Little Sandy's Restaurant, off the Bruceton Mills
exit. People there thought they saw a gun tucked into his clothing and
called police.

Preston Sheriff's Deputy Cpl. Ken Wotring responded from his home at
Bruceton and arrested Raffle, after finding an unlicensed gun and some
cocaine. Raffle entered into a pretrial diversion with the prosecutor's
office, agreeing to give up the car and gun, and to seek treatment for drug
abuse.

That ended the case for Raffle, who didn't have to go to court. It also
saved Estep the process of suing him for possession of the car, as allowed
under the forfeiture statute. The prosecutor said it worked out well for
everyone.

"It was a small amount of cocaine, probably for personal use," he noted.
"We don't believe he was a dealer. The person agreed to treatment and
hopefully will not cause us any further trouble."

The county plans to sell the car at auction or by sealed bid. The money
will go back into the general fund.

[PHOTO CAPTION]

Preston Sheriff Ron Crites puts a "For Sale" sign on the 1990 Jaguar XJS
seized by the county as part of a settlement in a drug case. The county
plans to sell the car at auction.