A criminal complaint has been filed in Calhoun Magistrate Court on September 11th, 2025 by Deputy H.M. Stephens against John Wesley James.
Stephens stated that on September 11, 2025, at approximately 4:43 p.m. she arrived at 20276 South Calhoun Highway with both Sheriff Graham Knight and Chief Deputy C.R. Stephens to investigate a suspicious vehicle call. Upon their arrival she observed a white van with a flat tire and no registration plate attached.
When approaching the residence, the officers observed that all doors were locked. Sheriff Knight advised that he had observed a person moving inside the residence through a window. Deputy H.M. Stephens observed the person as well and a shoe mark on the siding under the window, giving the appearance that someone climbed in the window to access the house. Calhoun Control called the owner of the residence, who advised that no one lives at the residence and no one should be there. The owner gave the Sheriff and Deputies permission to enter the residence to investigate. Additional units from Wirt County arrived to assist.
Law enforcement made entry into the house after announcing three times and receiving no response, despite hearing
someone inside the residence. Inside they located a male individual identified as John Wesley James.
Also located inside the residence were multiple firearms. The owner advised of the types of firearms and their locations.
Two of the firearms had been moved. The other was found in an area of the residence that had been seemingly ransacked and food removed from packaging. One of the firearms was found in the bathroom along with Mr. James’ controlled substances and drug paraphernalia.
Mr. James also advised that he had obtained items from an outbuilding on the property. Deputy H.M. Stephen’s observed that a window in the outbuilding had been removed and a footprint matching Mr. James’ shoe pattern was present inside the outbuilding.
Mr. James was placed under arrest for two charges of burglary and two charges of use of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He is currently being held at the WV Central Regional Jail with a bond set of $100,000.
John Wesley James is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
“Advised that no one lives at the residence” is false. It is very much lived in but the owner is away for a short period of time due to family. That information is also, in fact, NOT anyone’s business and should not be shared. Writing about the article is no issue but putting something out there like that should not be okay.