Sentences in Brooke County child neglect case | News, Sports, Jobs

WELLSBURG — Two separate Brooke County cases involving child neglect resulting in injury or risk of injury were heard Friday by 1st Judicial District Court Judge Ronald Wilson.

Candace Gampolo, 34, of Toronto, was sentenced to one to 15 years in prison, followed by one year of supervised probation, for possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver; Serious injury or death was postponed.

Under state law, the second charge carries a lighter sentence: one to five years in prison and a fine of not less than $1,000 and not more than $3,000.

Gampolo will also be required to register with the state’s child abuse and neglect registry.

It was noted that failure to comply with the conditions of parole could lead to Gampolo being convicted of child neglect.

Brooke County Prosecutor Joseph Barki had requested sentencing for him on both counts.

He told the court that when Gampolo was stopped in his vehicle by Brooke County sheriff’s deputies on June 21, 2023, he told a teenage passenger to hide the cocaine in his system.

According to the National Institutes of Health, the practice known as “body packing” can cause intestinal obstruction and death from cocaine poisoning.

“His actions are unconscionable,” Barki said, adding that Gampolo used the teenager “as a drug courier to avoid detection and arrest.”

Sheriff’s deputies reported that the young man admitted to having drugs in his system, and that marijuana and drug paraphernalia were found in the vehicle.

In seeking probation only for his client, attorney John Jurco told the court that Gampolo was remorseful for his actions, which resulted in charges being filed against the teen through the juvenile justice system, and accepted responsibility for the crimes.

In another case, Wilson ordered a Nov. 1 hearing for Jacob Fluharty, 35, of Follansbee, who pleaded guilty to child neglect causing injury.

Under state law, the crime carries a penalty of one to three years in prison and a fine of not less than $100 or more than $1,000 or up to five years in prison.

Jurco, who also represented Fluharty, stated that Fluharty received counseling on anger management, attended parenting classes and lived happily with his wife and three children.

Fluharty would also have to register with the state child abuse and neglect registry, he added.

Deputy Brooke County Prosecutor Allison Cowden requested the maximum sentence for Fluharty.

He said the victim, who is no longer in Fluharty’s care, has mental health issues stemming from past abuse she suffered under someone else’s care.

Cowden said Fluharty failed to stop his wife, Brittany, from physically abusing the child and repeatedly hitting the child, causing the child’s mouth to bleed more than once.

The case against Brittany Fluharty, 30, of Follansbee, continues in district court.