Pliny , Putnam County , West Virginia

Two employees are arrested on felony drug charges after another synthetic drug bust in Putnam County. This time at a porn shop.

Tuesday's synthetic drug take-down at the Porn Palace in Pliny is the second store in less than two months to be caught selling synthetic marijuana in Putnam County. It's also the second time those behind the counter have claimed it was legal, but police are sending a strong message...it's not.

A porn store that was allegedly selling more than they were advertising.

"It needs to be shut down," says Trina Kelly.

The Pliny Porn Palace, as many call it, has been the center of an undercover drug investigation for months, and what police were buying out of the store was anything but legal.

"We're going to get you and we're going to take your drugs. We're going to seize your stuff, and we're going to try and put you out of business, when it comes to synthetic drugs," says Putnam County Sheriff Mark Smith.

Metro drug officers and the Putnam County Sheriff's Office seized more than 730 grams of synthetic marijuana from behind the counter.

Employees Paul McKinney and Billy King were arrested Wednesday and charged with delivery of a controlled substance for allegedly selling the drugs to an undercover officer and confidential informant.

The owner of the store, Eugene Asbury, wasn't available for comment, but police say more arrests are pending. He's the only other employee at the store.

"It's going to be a challenge. We're going to have to deal with this drug problem seriously and quite frankly we're going to have to think out of the box on how we're going to react to it," explains Putnam County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Sorsaia.

The porn store sit just feet away from a church, and some people in the area are calling for it to be shut down.

"If I was that church I'd be praying a whole lot around that place and anointing it with the oil!" says Kelly.

The Second Time Around Music Emporium was raided and briefly shut down in April. The porn store is still in business but permanent closure is something the prosecutor says will be handled on a case by case basis.

"This is something that we can take action on and we're going to take action on them and anyone else that does this sort of thing," says the sheriff.

Eyewitness News talked with one of the arrested employees off camera, who was already back at work just hours after his arrest. The owner posted both of their $30,000 bonds.

He said he was only doing what he was told but he's convinced what they were selling was legal.

Deputies say there were synthetic ingredients in at least some of the raided fake pot, while tests are pending on another batch.

------------

Two employees at a Putnam County adult book store are behind bars, accused of selling illegal drugs.

Paul McKinney and Billy King are charged with delivery of a controlled substance.

Police raided the Porn Palace along Route 35 in Pliny, Tuesday, and hauled out several boxes of K-2, a synthetic form of marijuana.

Police say the employees were getting it from Florida.

Investigators say more charges could be filed, and more arrests could be made.

------------------------------------------------

Police make a major drug bust at the Porn Palace in the Pliny area of Putnam County.

The raid happened just after 2:00 p.m. Tuesday.

Investigators took out several boxes of the drug K2, a synthetic form of marijuana, which is illegal.

The raid came after several months of investigation.

Several charges are pending.

How To Contact WCHS-TV8 | Privacy Policy | FCC Public File | Terms and Conditions | DMCA Policy | Frequently Asked Questions

Home | Eyewitness News Newsroom | Storm Team Weather | Eyewitness Sports | Schedules

---

Send email to news@wchstv.com for information or comments concerning WCHS-TV Eyewitness News.

Copyright ©2013, WCHS-TV8. Portions are
Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or distributed.