JESSE, WV (LOOTPRESS) — A routine early-morning traffic stop on May 6, 2025, led to the arrest of two individuals after suspected fentanyl was discovered in their possession.
At approximately 2:29 a.m., Deputy Hunter Walker of the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop on a red Chevrolet Cruze with a defective headlight in the Jesse area. The driver told the deputy he was giving two friends a ride home to Ravencliff after picking them up.
The passengers, later identified as Travis Shumate and another male suspect, claimed they had been kicked out by their grandmother and were seeking a place to stay. After obtaining the driver’s consent to search the vehicle, deputies questioned the passengers separately.
Upon being asked to empty his pockets, one passenger revealed several burnt foil pieces, straws, and a digital scale. A further search uncovered a foil packet containing a white powdery substance, which the individual admitted was fentanyl.
The second passenger, Travis Shumate, was also found with burnt foil in his pocket and a packet of suspected fentanyl hidden in his sock, which he also identified as fentanyl after being read his Miranda rights.
Both Shumate and the other passenger, identified as Mr. Jarrell, were arrested and taken to the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office for processing. Fentanyl is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance.
