Shawn Turak, Ohio County Prosecuting Attorney, released the following statements:
Recent Ohio County Convictions
Brooke Dulaney appeared before the Honorable Michael Olejasz on July 2, 2026, 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, 2026. The crash occurred on July 25, 2025, when Dulaney was driving her Jaguar SUV on Interstate 70 westbound near Main Street, Wheeling. In the crash, Dulaney lost control, 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 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 ten years by Judge Olejasz on July 2, 2026, and given a self-report date in August. Shawn Turak, Ohio County Prosecuting Attorney, commended the police investigation handled by City of Wheeling Police Department.
“I am pleased with the results in this case. 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.”
Ishmael “Freddy” Howard pleaded guilty today to “Delivery of a Controlled Substance” with a sentence of prison time for not less than one nor more than fifteen 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.
Turak noted: “This is not his first felony drug conviction. 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.”
