By RACHEL C. DOVE

Staff Writer

WILLIAMSON - A female defendant wanted by the Williamson Police Department (WPD) who had been on the run since 2008 is now in custody following her arrest in Dayton, Ohio and a very lengthy process to have her extradited back to WV.

WPD Chief C.D. Rockel told the Daily News that in 2008, Andrea “Dee Dee” Cunningan, 41, of Dayton, Ohio and formerly of Williamson allegedly sold crack cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance to a confidential informant within 1,000 feet of a school. Cunningan fled the state shortly thereafter and also managed to elude the U.S. Marshalls Fugitive Task Force who attempted to capture her in Ohio on 2 different occasions.

“I received notification approximately 2 months ago that the defendant was in custody in Dayton,” stated Rockel. “Police had responded to a domestic dispute at a motel in their city that involved Cunnigan. When the officers ran her license, it produced a positive hit in the NCIC system because of the fugitive from justice warrant we had against her.”

The chief said that he had to jump through several hoops following the defendant’s arrest to get her back into WV, due to the fact that she fought extradition.

“It took a couple of months to get everything taken care of, but I was successful in getting a Governor’s Warrant to extradite her back to Williamson. When she realized I wasn’t giving up and I wasn’t going away, she agreed to waive the extradition,” remarked Rockel.

“When I got to the jail to pick her up on Monday to bring her back to face the charges, she told me she was tired of running and just wanted to get it over with.”

Cunningan was scheduled to appear before Mingo County Circuit Judge Michael Thornsbury this morning at 8:45 a.m., to be arraigned on the felony charge. She is currently lodged in the Southwestern Regional Jail at Holden.