Erin Cleavenger, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.
August 6, 2022·2 min read
Two Morgantown men have been charged with receiving or transferring stolen vinyl plank flooring. They’re accused of having about $9,000 of stolen items in their possession.
Monongalia County Sheriff’s Deputies were originally called to a home under construction in a development near Morgantown when the contractor noticed that the flooring had been ripped out from beneath him.
The victim told the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office that she had seen this flooring listed on marketplace with a seller named Marion Efaw.
Deputies searched their records and caught 24-year-old Marion Robert Efaw II, who was driving without a license and wanted in a local court for driving while revoked. He had his address listed as Dunn Cemetery Road, which is close to the address where flooring was taken from.
On July 15, the homeowner of the home spotted a square-shaped patch of flooring and tried to reach out to the builder via Facebook messenger. However, they didn’t receive a response. The next day, they received a message from “Raymond Murray” who claimed that the builder was responsible for the surface.
Police found an address for Raymond Murray, the suspect who was arrested after numerous complaints were received about a man posting items to Facebook Marketplace. The suspect said he had only posted pictures of the flooring and that it was the same address as the one on file for Efaw.
Allegedly taken by Efaw, these photos show a motorcycle in the background with what is said to be goats and chickens.
On July 16, 2016, deputies searched the property surrounding the residence of Ebony Efaw and Ronald Murray and found the motorcycle they were riding on.
When the deputies entered Murray’s house, they found the wide circular vinyl flooring that can be seen in this photo. They also found Mr. Murray hiding in a closet in an adjacent room, where he was apprehended.
Murray said he was hiding in the closet because he had warrants, and that he bought the flooring from Efaw. He also admitted to knowing it would be moved into the house, but didn’t know where it had been taken from the building.
Murray was charged with receiving or transferring stolen goods on July 16, and was released on $10, 000 bond.
According to the criminal complaint, Efaw turned himself in on the evening of July 16 and was charged with receiving or transferring stolen goods. He was arraigned Aug. 4, and bail was set at $50, 000. He is being held at North Central Regional Jail.