Two city employees, including a water plant operator, are facing felony charges in Jenkins.
According to court documents, 39-year-old Steven Eric Addington, of Jenkins, and 27-year-old Kori Standifur, of Pound, Virginia, were arrested by Jenkins Police at the Jenkins Water Plant just after midnight Sunday.
Court documents said after parking his patrol car at the end of his shift, Officer Michael Garner made contact with Standifur outside of the plant. Standifur, the officer wrote in an arrest citation, appeared intoxicated and smelled of marijuana. Garner wrote that a search of Standifur and his vehicle yielded drug paraphernalia and a large quantity of marijuana, which Standifur allegedly had attempted to conceal.
Garner also wrote that he found Addington, who is the water plant’s licensed operator, in possession of several narcotics, including Oxycodone, digital scales and a loaded handgun. Court document said Addington was also in possession of marijuana at the time.
The men allegedly admitted to ownership of drugs.
Standifur was charged with felony charges of trafficking in marijuana, greater than 8 ounces, and tampering with physical evidence. He was also charged with misdemeanor charges of public intoxication, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and third-degree possession of a controlled substance.
Addington was charged with felony counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and trafficking in marijuana, greater than 8 ounces. He was also charged with misdemeanor counts of possession of marijuana, four counts of third-degree possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a prescription drug not in a proper container. Jenkins Police told EKB News that Addington’s alleged possession of a firearm during the incident enhances those misdemeanor charges to felony counts.
Both Addington and Standifur were lodged in the Letcher County Jail. According to the jail website, Standifur remains lodged in the jail, but Addington is no longer listed on the jail’s roster of inmates.
Jenkins Mayor Todd DePriest told EKB News both Addington and Standifur were on-the-clock at the time of their arrests. DePriest said both of the men have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation.
In a statement released Monday afternoon, DePriest said he was “disgusted” at the situation.
“As Mayor, I am absolutely disgusted and disappointed in the actions of these two employees and I will in no way tolerate it,” DePriest said in the statement. “After reviewing all the information provided to me, I placed both employees on administrative leave without pay pending a full investigation immediately as we have zero tolerance for this sort of behavior.”
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