Trending
WHEELING - Ohio County Prosecuting Attorney Shawn Turak on Thursday announced two separate felony convictions stemming from local cases.
Defendants in both cases were sentenced to prison.
Brooke Dulaney appeared before the Honorable Michael Olejasz on July 2 for sentencing. She was convicted of the felony offense of Driving a Vehicle in an Impaired State Causing Serious Bodily Injury to Another on May 13 of this year.
The crash occurred on July 25, 2025 when Dulaney was driving her Jaguar SUV on Interstate 70 westbound near Main Street in Wheeling. In the crash, Dulaney lost control, and the car went airborne before coming to its final resting point near Main Street.
A passenger was ejected from the sunroof in the crash and was rushed to WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital, where she underwent surgery and was in intensive care.
The investigation conducted by the city of Wheeling Police Department revealed that Dulaney was travelling at a speed of 116 miles per hour before she lost control. Blood alcohol testing revealed that her BAC was.176, more than twice the threshold for impaired driving.
Dulaney was sentenced to not less than two nor more than 10 years by Judge Olejasz on July 2 and was given a self report date in August.
The prosecutor commended the police investigation handled by Wheeling Police.
"I am pleased with the results in this case," Turak said. "That a crime of this significance was so efficiently prosecuted within less than a year and with the maximum prison sentence being imposed is a victory for the State of West Virginia and the citizens of this county. Thankfully, this wasn’t a fatality, but Dulaney will end up in prison, which is where she belongs."
In a separate case, Ishmael "Freddy" Howard plead guilty to Delivery of a Controlled Substance with a sentence of prison time for not less than one nor more than 15 years in the custody of the West Virginia Department of Corrections. He was scheduled for a jury trial in front of the Honorable David J. Sims, but elected to plead guilty instead.
He was immediately remanded to the Department of Corrections. Howard sold cocaine to an undercover confidential informant in October, 2024 and was indicted by the September 2025 Ohio County Grand Jury.
"This is not his first felony drug conviction," Turak said. "Howard was convicted years ago and served years of federal time related to the Stormin’ Norman operation. Sadly, here we are again. I am grateful for the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force for their relentless efforts to eradicate narcotics trafficking in this area. They are the hidden heroes behind the work we do."