Daily Mail
September 29, 2008
http://www.dailymail.com/News/200809290276
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The pastor at Blessed Sacrament Church in South Charleston and a member of the congregation face felony charges of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.
The priest, James Edward O'Connor, 58, and Michael Joseph Deegan, 59, of Cross Lanes, were arrested Sunday in South Charleston.
South Charleston Patrolman S.W. Miller made the arrests. The circumstances remained muddled today, and South Charleston officials were unable to clarify them.
South Charleston Police Chief Brad Rinehart and Mayor Frank Mullens said they were unaware of the incident and could not provide details.
O'Connor didn't return a call seeking comment.
Deegan said: "I feel bad. I feel like I made a mistake. It's just a difficult time right now. I'm trying to deal with it, with my family, and trying to just get, just see what I need to do."
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Miller wrote in the complaint that he was driving southbound on the Central Avenue overpass and smelled marijuana.
In the complaint against the priest, the officer wrote:
"While traveling southbound on Central Overpass this officer could smell a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle that was in front of my vehicle. This officer stopped the vehicle - a silver Chrysler Town & Country - at Kanawha Turnpike and Elm Street. While speaking with the driver, James E. O'Connor, this officer could smell a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. This officer got verbal consent from Mr. O'Connor and in the back of this vehicle there was a black bag containing a green leafy substance later field tested for marijuana. This officer found approximately 73 grams of marijuana."
In the complaint against Deegan, Miller wrote:
"While conducting a traffic stop the above defendant, Michael Deegan, was a passenger in the vehicle. This officer found a small bag of marijuana on Mr. Deegan rolled up in a white towel. This officer asked Mr. Deegan if there was other drugs in his vehicle that was located in the 300 blk. of Est. Mr. Deegan stated that there was no more drugs in the vehicle and this officer asked consent to search and Mr. Deegan stated no. This officer ran my K-9 Vader around the vehicle and Vader indicated on the passenger side of the vehicle. This officer found a total of 152 grams of a green leafy substance which field tested for marijuana. This occurred in the 300 blk. of Est., South Charleston.
State law says that possession of more than 15 grams of marijuana is a felony. That is slightly more than half an ounce.
Magistrate Jack Pauley held a hearing for the men. Deegan and O'Connor were released after posting bond of $20,000 and $15,000 respectively.
O'Connor was transferred to Blessed Sacrament in 2006. He previously served for 15 years at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Madison and St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Whitesville.
He was raised in a Methodist family in Wellsburg and served two tours with the Air Force in Vietnam.
He graduated from WVU with a degree in philosophy in 1975 and then began his Franciscan training at St. Francis Seminary in Loretto, Pa.
Ordained into the Roman Catholic priesthood in 1982, O'Connor accepted an assignment at the Evangelist Parish in Pittsburgh.
In 1984, O'Connor came back to West Virginia as chaplain at Marshall University's Newman Center.
Deegan is a counselor and once served as president of the West Virginia Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors.
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