Former deputy agrees to home incarceration in W.Va. poaching case

Jun. 14—KEYSER, W.Va. — A former Mineral County deputy sheriff is the fourth of eight defendants to receive a plea deal in West Virginia's largest known deer poaching case.

West Virginia Natural Resources Police conducted an investigation that led to 223 charges involving at least 27 antlered bucks taken illegally in Mineral, Grant and Hampshire counties from mid-September to late December against Tyler Biggs, his father Christopher Biggs, Dalton Dolly, Colton Broadwater, his father Gregory Broadwater, Ivy Rodeheaver, Robert Horner Sr. and his son Robert "Beau" Horner Jr.

Tyler Biggs and Dolly were Mineral County deputy sheriffs at the time of the alleged crimes, and have since resigned from their jobs.

In the past few weeks, Tyler Biggs and the Broadwaters accepted plea agreements from Hampshire County prosecuting attorney Rebecca Miller, who is overseeing the case in Mineral and Hampshire counties.

On Monday, Dolly was at Mineral County Magistrate Court where he accepted an agreement that stipulates he'll wear an ankle monitor for 30 days of home incarceration beginning June 21.

He was ordered to pay a $500 replacement fee, $700 in court costs and $160 in fines.

Dolly will also pay $20 per day of his home incarceration.

Additionally, he's prohibited from having and using firearms and alcohol while incarcerated.

Grant County Magistrate Emory Feaster Jr., who presided over the case, asked NRP Cpl. Brian Nuzum, who worked on the investigation that led to charges, how he felt about Dolly's deal.

"I like it," Nuzum said.

Rodeheaver's pretrial hearing was continued Monday, and no new date had been set as of Tuesday afternoon.

Pretrial hearings are set to begin at 1 p.m. July 19 in Mineral County for Chris Biggs and the Horners.

Editor's note: Rodeheaver's name has been spelled several ways in police press releases, court documents and news reports that detail the case. A Linkedin page lists "Ivy Rodeheaver" as a "recreational advocate, with an eye for natural resources."

Teresa McMinn is the Digital Editor for the Cumberland Times-News. She can be reached at 304-639-2371 or tmcminn@times-news.com.