W.Va. mayor's son in coke bust

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CHARLESTON, W.Va., March 7 (UPI) -- The 23-year-old son of Charleston, W.Va., Mayor Danny Jones was charged with cocaine possession Thursday after police said they found the drug in his car.

Zachary Jones was arrested after police pulled his car over about 6:30 a.m. EST just north of Charleston, The Charleston Gazette reported. A passenger in the car, Moldavian Harris, 24, of Detroit, was also arrested.

Both suspects were charged with possession of cocaine with intent to deliver.

"It may surprise many to know that I was relieved when I found out Zac was arrested, because I know that the only things that might save his life are isolation and yes, incarceration," the mayor said in the statement issued by his office.

He said his son had been arrested in 2008 for driving under the influence and in 2010 for heroin possession. He said in the 2010 case, he told police where to find his son and requested an increase in bail after his son was arrested.

"If in jail or prison, I know that Zac has a better chance of living than on the outside," he said. "This is because Zac is a hopeless drug addict who has broken the heart and the will of everyone and anyone who has tried to help him.

"I plead with those in law enforcement, judicial, and jail and prison system to treat my son no better or worse than any other defendant," the mayor said. "My son does not need anyone to save him from taking this life-saving fall."