Eastern District of Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Chinese National, Yongjian You, 41, was sentenced on Friday to 27 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves for mail fraud he committed as part of a gift card tampering scheme.

In a gift card tampering scheme, individuals steal gift card packages from retail stores, discreetly access the card numbers or security access codes, reseal the compromised gift card packages, and then place them back into retail stores to be sold to unsuspecting customers.  Once the tampered gift cards are loaded with cash value at the store’s point of sale by customers, the fraudsters steal the funds from the card. According to his plea agreement, You stole gift cards from multiple Kroger stores in the Lexington area, mailed them to co-conspirators using the United States Postal Service to be compromised, received them back in the mail, and returned the tampered cards to retailer shelves to be sold to unwary customers.  On July 8, 2024, You was caught stealing untampered gift cards from a Kroger in Lexington, and placing tampered cards back on the gift card racks.  A law enforcement search of his vehicle that same day yielded 871 tampered gift cards and 998 untampered gift cards, representing potential consumer loss of $419,975.  Two packages that You recently mailed to California were then intercepted, and found to contain an additional 2,651 untampered gift cards, representing another $627,925 in potential consumer loss.  Ultimately, the total potential loss from the gift cards in You’s scheme was more than $1.1 million. 

Under federal law, You must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by HSI and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Chapman is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

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FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Harrodsburg, Ky., man, Wayne Jerome Johnson, 46, was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove to 300 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. 

According to court documents, on November 17, 2021, law enforcement observed Johnson distributing drugs out of two rooms at the Economy Inn in Harrodsburg and conducted an authorized search of those rooms, finding over 50 grams of a methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl mixture, as well as 32 grams of cocaine in separate bags. Law enforcement also found a loaded pistol, ammunition, magazines, cash, and other drug trafficking paraphernalia. Johnson admitted to possessing the drugs with intent to distribute and possessing the firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Also, Johnson was aware at the time of his arrest that he had prior felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Johnson had previously been convicted of two counts of trafficking in a controlled substance first degree in Mercer Circuit Court in October 2000, and one count of trafficking in a controlled substance first degree in Mercer Circuit Court in 2018.

Under federal law, Johnson must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for eight years.

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; John Nokes, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, and Chief Scott Elder, Harrodsburg Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by ATF, KSP, and Harrodsburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

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COVINGTON, Ky.- A Cincinnati, Ohio, man was convicted on Thursday by a federal jury in Covington for drug trafficking charges.

After one hour and twenty minutes of deliberation, following a four-day trial, the jury convicted 30-year-old Devante Garrett of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue with intent to distribute, and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

Evidence at trial showed that Garrett conspired with others to distribute more than 275 grams of a substance containing a fentanyl analogue, more than 40 grams of fentanyl, and cocaine.  He was arrested in Kenton County on October 14, 2023, with these drugs hidden behind the panel of the driver’s door of the vehicle he was operating.  Garrett was previously arrested in Boone County on August 17, 2023, while in possession of $6,440 in cash and a scale containing residue of fentanyl and cocaine.  Additional witness testimony showed that Garrett, a Cincinnati, Ohio, resident had been regularly traveling to Lexington, Kentucky, with others to distribute fentanyl and cocaine from May 2023 through August 2023.    

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division;  Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; Chief Brian Valenti, Covington Police Department; Chief Bill Birkenhauer, Highland Heights Police Department; and Sheriff Michael Helmig, Boone County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the conviction.

The investigation was conducted by DEA, KSP, Covington Police Department, Highland Heights Police Department, and Boone County Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Spievack and Tony Bracke.

Garrett will appear for sentencing on August 21. He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence.

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LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Mexican national residing in Kentucky, Miguel Angel Paez-Aguinaga, 53, was sentenced on Friday to 54 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for one count of conspiracy to produce fraudulent identification documents and two counts of aggravated identity theft.

According to his plea agreement, Paez-Aguinaga conspired with others, through social media applications and texts, to make fraudulent Social Security cards, state ID cards, and U.S. Permanent Resident Alien cards. Paez-Aguinaga frequently used improperly obtained means of identification that he knew belonged to real people. Paez-Aguinaga would then send these cards out via the U.S. mail to recipients in other states, and hand deliver sets of cards for individuals without legal status to use for employment purposes. In return, the recipients paid him in cash or through Zelle payments. Paez-Aguinaga admitted that from October 1, 2022, until his arrest in July 2024, he produced and transferred over 100 sets of fraudulent identification documents. Paez-Aguinaga admitted to receiving more than $233,000 from the fraudulent scheme during that same time period.

Under federal law, Aguinaga must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. Aguinaga was also ordered to pay a $233,433.67 money judgement. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Lesley Allison, Special Agent in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pittsburgh Field Division; and Gail Ennis, Inspector General, Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by USPIS and SSA-OIG. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Greenfield prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

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LEXINGTON, KY- A Rogers, Ky., man, Robert Lutes, 50, was indicted on April 17 by a grand jury sitting in Lexington for four counts of distributing fentanyl, two counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of possessing with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of possessing with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

The indictment alleges that from February 6 to March 26, 2025, Lutes possessed and distributed fentanyl and methamphetamine in Lee County. The indictment also alleges that on March 26, 2025, he possessed a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; John Nokes, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the indictment.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the ATF and KSP.  The indictment was presented to the grand jury by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paco Villalobos.

Lutes was detained in custody on April 17, as he awaits a trial scheduled for June 25, 2025. He faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood

           Any indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. 

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LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Harrodsburg, Ky., man was convicted on Tuesday by a federal jury in Lexington for sex trafficking of children.  

After 45 minutes of deliberation, following a two-day trial, the jury convicted 42-year-old Larry Coffman of two counts of sex trafficking of children and committing a felony involving a minor while being required to register as a sex offender. 

According to testimony at trial, in February 2023, Coffman solicited, recruited, and enticed two minor victims to engage in a sex act in exchange for something of value. At the time of the offenses, Coffman had been convicted of a prior sex offense and, as a result, was required to register as a sex offender.

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief Scott Elder, Harrodsburg Police Department; and Sheriff Mike Coyle, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the conviction.

The investigation was conducted by HSI, Harrodsburg Police Department, and Madison County Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth.

Coffman will appear for sentencing on July 28, 2025. He faces a minimum of 25 years and a maximum of life in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Detroit, Michigan, woman, Chanel Lashae Logan, 25, was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves to 360 months in prison, for one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

According to her court records, between March 1, 2024 and June 6, 2024, Logan conspired with co-defendant Saruba Asante Smith to distribute substantial quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Lexington, Kentucky area.  In her plea agreement, Logan admitted to selling methamphetamine and fentanyl to an undercover operative on April 23, 2024, followed by an additional larger quantity of methamphetamine to the same undercover operative on May 30, 2024.  Both transactions occurred in Lexington.  Shortly thereafter, Logan agreed with the undercover operative to sell 10 pounds of methamphetamine and 4 ounces of fentanyl, which she intended to obtain in Detroit.  On June 6, 2024, in Shelby County, Kentucky, law enforcement stopped Logan and Smith in Logan’s vehicle as it traveled back from Detroit.  Law enforcement located 6.8 kilograms of methamphetamine in the car, along with 76 grams of fentanyl.  A search warrant executed at Logan’s and Smith’s Lexington apartment that same day led to the seizure of an additional 4.3 kilograms of methamphetamine and 892 grams of fentanyl.

Logan’s co-defendant, Saruba Smith, was previously sentenced to 92 months in prison. 

Under federal law, Logan must serve 85 percent of her prison sentence. Upon her release from prison, she will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department; and Sheriff David Charles, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA, KSP, Lexington Police Department, and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Waynesburg, Ky., man, Steven Fellmy, 46, was sentenced on Thursday, to 300 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams of methamphetamine.

According to the evidence at trial, on August 8, 2023, a Simpsonville Police Department Detective relayed an anonymous tip to the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, which concerned the transport of a large quantity of methamphetamine from Anderson County into Mercer County.  As a result, Fellmy was traffic stopped in Mercer County, by a Mercer County Sheriff’s Deputy.  At the scene, a Harrodsburg Police Department K9 positively alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle.  Law enforcement then searched the vehicle, which led to the recovery of 193.5 grams of 95% pure methamphetamine.  On his person, Fellmy also had 9.439 grams of methamphetamine and 22.529 grams of heroin.

Under federal law, Fellmy must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Chief Scott Elder, Harrodsburg Police Department; Chief Thomas Brummer, Simpsonville Police Department; and Sheriff Ernie Kelty, Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by DEA, Harrodsburg Police Department, Simpsonville Police Department, and Mercer County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Baker is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

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COVINGTON, Ky. – A Dry Ridge, Ky., man, Rodney Ruggles, 45, was sentenced on Thursday to 120 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and oxycodone and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

According to his plea agreement, on December 13, 2023, law enforcement stopped a vehicle operated by Ruggles for several driving violations. After Ruggles consented to a search of the vehicle, law enforcement found a firearm safe containing five grams of methamphetamine, a small bag of marijuana, 3.5 oxycodone pills, 50 to 100 baggies, and a pistol. Ruggles admitted to possessing the methamphetamine and oxycodone with the intent to distribute and that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Ruggles also admitted to distributing methamphetamine for several weeks before he was arrested. Specifically, he admitted from November 2023 to December 2023, he obtained approximately one ounce of methamphetamine from his source of supply, every two days. 

Under federal law, Ruggles must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Sheriff Michael Helmig, Boone County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Boone County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel King is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

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COVINGTON, Ky. – A Burlington, Ky., man, Juan Velazquez-Rodriguez, 48, was sentenced on Thursday to 85 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for illegal possession of a machine gun. 

According to his plea agreement, in January 2024, a law enforcement source reported that Rodriguez offered to sell the source, who was a convicted felon, a machinegun conversion device (MCD). Law enforcement searched Rodriguez’ residence and found a MCD in his dresser. The MCD was not marked with a serial number, and Rodriguez admitted he knew it was designed to convert a firearm into a machinegun.

A search of Rodriguez’ social media and cell phone revealed messages between Rodriguez and another individual about 3D printing firearm parts.  Rodriguez later messaged this same associate from jail, and instructed him to remove everything that had to do with the 3D printer from the associate’s apartment. Rodriguez also offered to sell MCDs to multiple other individuals, explaining that the “switch,” or MCD, would convert a Glock handgun or AR-15 rifle to fully automatic. 

Under federal law, Rodriguez must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Sheriff Les Hill, Boone County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by HSI and Boone County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel King is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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COVINGTON, Ky. – An Independence, Ky., man, Ralph Britton, 55, was sentenced on Thursday to 84 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for transporting child pornography in interstate commerce using a computer or cell phone. 

 According to his plea agreement, on December 28, 2023, law enforcement received a cybertip that 18 video files depicting child pornography were uploaded from a Synchronoss account, a cloud-based storage provider for Verizon Wireless users. Further investigation identified Britton as the account owner, and that there were at least 33 videos of child pornography uploaded from Britton’s account. On February 8, 2024, law enforcement arrested Britton on state charges and searched his cell phone, which contained an additional 896 images of child sexual abuse, along with evidence of a program often used to remove illicit files from electronic devices. 

Under federal law, Britton must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 15 years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Quincy Barnett, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Sheriff Les Hill, Boone County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Boone County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Winslow is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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ASHLAND, Ky. – An Ashland physician and owner of Lewis Family Care, Matthew Lewis, 44, pleaded guilty on Monday, before Chief U.S. District Judge David L. Bunning to receiving a misbranded drug and offering it for sale with the intent to defraud or mislead.   

According to the charges against Lewis, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved three drugs with semaglutide as the active ingredient – Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy – to improve blood sugar levels in adult patients with diabetes or, in the case of Wegovy, for weight loss.  The FDA did not approve any generic semaglutide drugs.  In his plea agreement, Lewis admitted that beginning in May 2023, he purchased non-FDA approved semaglutide from suppliers in California and Georgia to administer to patients at a weight loss clinic.  These companies were not registered with the FDA as drug manufacturers or outsourcing facilities of compounded drugs, were not authorized to distribute semaglutide, and were not licensed pharmacies or licensed prescription drug wholesalers.  Lewis obtained the semaglutide from these unauthorized suppliers at a significantly lower cost than the legitimate prescription drugs.

This non-FDA approved semaglutide sometimes arrived at Lewis Family Care packaged in a vial that contained a warning that the drugs were intended for lab research and development only.  The labels failed to provide adequate directions for use, adequate warnings, failed to contain an expiration date, and failed to list its active and inactive ingredients.  Lewis took measures to disguise and mislead others as to the unauthorized sources of the semaglutide. For example, he purchased the semaglutide using Venmo, Afterpay, or via phone, and he described the orders on his Venmo payments as “Meal Prep.” Lewis stored the drugs in his office, separate from Lewis Family Care’s other legally obtained medications.  He did not inform his patients that he was administering non-FDA approved semaglutide to them.  Between May 2023 and February 2024, Lewis Family Care’s weight loss clinic earned $249,044.40 from the administration of this unapproved semaglutide.

“Prescription drugs are highly regulated in this country in order to keep patients safe,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Paul McCaffrey. “At a time of increased public interest in weight-loss drugs like Wegovy, Lewis chose profit margins over patient safety when he purchased non-FDA approved semaglutide and administered it to his patients.”

“Physicians who administer misbranded drugs that come from outside the secure and regulated supply chain—particularly products that are injectable and pose sterility concerns—not only puts their patients’ health at risk but also violate their patients’ trust,” said George Scavdis, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who would disregard and jeopardize public health and safety by selling misbranded drugs.”

Acting U.S. Attorney McCaffrey and FDA Special Agent in Charge Scavdis, jointly announced the guilty plea.

The investigation was conducted by the FDA-OCI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Dunn-Pirio is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. 

Lewis is scheduled to be sentenced on August 18. He faces a maximum of three years in prison and any applicable restitution. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.

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ASHLAND, Ky. – A Rock Island, Tenn., man, Mark Dillon Mason, 32, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning on Monday to 324 months in prison for production of child pornography. 

According to his plea agreement, Mason traveled to Morehead, Ky., on three occasions in2022 and engaged in sexual intercourse with a minor victim during each visit. Mason used his cellphone and the victim’s cellphone to record the sexually explicit conduct. 

Under federal law, Mason must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 20 years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief Derrick Blevins, Morehead Police Department; and Sheriff Mike Coyle, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by HSI, Morehead Police Department, and Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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ASHLAND, Ky. – A Columbus, Ohio, man, Angelo Dre Clifton, 31, was sentenced on Monday, by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to 25 years in prison, for the distribution of fentanyl resulting in an overdose death.  

According to Clifton’s plea agreement, on June 9, 2019, law enforcement responded to reports of an unresponsive victim in Boyd County, Ky. When law enforcement arrived, the victim was pronounced dead; her cause was death was later determined to be a fentanyl overdose. 

Law enforcement searched the victim’s phone and found messages between the victim and Clifton discussing the purchase of controlled substances. When Clifton learned of the victim’s death, he admitted to a friend via video message that the victim had overdosed on “[his] dope.” In his plea agreement, Clifton also admitted that from May 2019 through June 2019, he routinely offered to distribute and distributed heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine to others in the Eastern District of Kentucky. 

Under federal law, Clifton must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for six years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Sheriff Jamie Reihs, Boyd County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by DEA and Boyd County Sheriff’s Office.

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LONDON, Ky. – A Kenvir, Ky., man, Anthony Carr, 54, was sentenced on Friday by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier to 78 months in prison, for distribution of methamphetamine. 

According to his plea agreement, on August 17, 2023, law enforcement used a confidential informant to purchase approximately 54 grams of a methamphetamine mixture from Carr. On August 23, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Carr’s residence and found approximately 27 grams of methamphetamine, baggies, and three sets of digital scales.  

Under federal law, Carr must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for four years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Sheriff Chris Brewer, Harlan County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA, KSP, and Harlan County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

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ASHLAND, Ky. – A Sandy Hook, Ky., man, Matthew Nelson, 52, was sentenced on Monday, to 35 years in prison, by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for attempted production of child pornography and for committing a felony offense involving a minor as a registered sex offender. 

According to his plea agreement, in November 2023, law enforcement received information that Nelson, a registered sex offender, was engaging in sexual chatting with minor females via the internet and social media platforms. During an interview with law enforcement, Nelson admitted that he drove to one of the minor victim’s homes and provided her with vape products in an effort to get her to engage in sexual activity with him. Nelson also admitted that he attempted to persuade the victim to take sexually explicit images of herself and send them to Nelson via the internet. 

Nelson was previously convicted in Alaska for sexual abuse of a minor 3rd degree and was required to register as a sex offender. 

Under federal law, Nelson must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 15 years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Sheriff Jamie Reihs, Boyd County Sheriff’s Office; and Sheriff Ray Craft, Elliot County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by HSI, Boyd County Sheriff’s Office, and Elliot County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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LONDON, Ky. – A Lebanese and Italian national, Alessandro Sabbagh, 27, was sentenced on Friday by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier to 78 months in prison, for conspiracy to sell counterfeit drugs and knowingly causing the sale of a counterfeit drug.  

According to his plea agreement, between January 2017 and October 2021, Sabbagh conspired with others to manufacture and sell counterfeit generic alprazolam pills. Sabbagh and his co-conspirators, without authorization, created pills stamped with manufacturer imprints designed to replicate the appearance of actual alprazolam pills. The benzodiazepine-class drugs used by the co-conspirators in the counterfeit pills have no accepted medical use in the United States. Sabbagh and his co-conspirators then sold these counterfeit pills in the Eastern District of Kentucky and throughout the United States via darknet marketplaces, receiving payment for the sales in cryptocurrencies. Sabbagh managed multiple vendor accounts across several darknet marketplaces and was responsible for sales to customers and providing lists of customer orders to co-conspirators who manufactured and shipped the counterfeit alprazolam pills. Over the course of the conspiracy, Sabbagh and his co-conspirators trafficked counterfeit alprazolam valued at more than $25 million. 

Under federal law, Sabbagh must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. Sabbagh must also forfeit cryptocurrency seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration, and agreed to the imposition of a $5,055,377 forfeiture money judgment, representing the amount of proceeds he received from the scheme.

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigations, Cincinnati Field Division, Quincy Barnett, Acting Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Jeff Couch, Manchester Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA, IRS, FBI, and Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Rosenberg is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Lexington man, Eric Kelsey Shepherd, 30, was sentenced on Friday, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, to 50 years in prison, for production of child pornography. 

According to his plea agreement, in January 2022, law enforcement was contacted about a 12-year-old victim who was sexually exploited by an adult male. Further investigation revealed that Shepherd, then 27 years-old, met the victim on Snapchat, where he initially claimed he was 17 years-old. Shepherd met the minor victim on numerous occasions to engage in sexual activity, some of which the victim alleged involved violence against the victim. Shepherd took images and videos of many of the sexual interactions, which were located on both the victim’s and Shepherd’s cellphones. Shepherd has a prior state conviction for sexual abuse and unlawful transaction with a minor and, as a result, will face enhanced penalties.    

Under federal law, Shepherd must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department; and Sheriff Mike Coyle, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by HSI; Lexington Police Department; and Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

– END –

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Lexington man, Chase Allen Barnett, 39, was sentenced on Thursday to 200 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for three counts of distribution of a mixture containing methamphetamine and fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. 

According to court proceedings, between February 10, 2023, and February 20, 2023, Barnett possessed and distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl to a confidential informant out of a hotel in Lexington. On February 21, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant of a hotel room occupied by Barnett and found fentanyl, methamphetamine, digital scales, drug packaging materials, drug debt ledgers, $6,234 in cash, ammunition and firearm magazines. In total, Barnett distributed or intended to distribute 197.299 grams of fentanyl and 379.894 grams of methamphetamine. 

 Under federal law, Barnett must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 8 years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; John Nokes, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Commander Kalan Perdue, Gateway High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by ATF and Gateway HIDTA Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Baker is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

– END –

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The former Fire Chief of the Blackberry Volunteer Fire Department (BVFD) in Pike County, Christopher Chapman, 36, was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell to 12 months in prison, for theft of public funds.

In 2021, as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, to support communities and local governments that were struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government distributed emergency funding to local governments to maintain vital local services.  In Spring 2022, Pike County local government authorized the distribution of $50,000 of these funds through grants that were allocated for the purchase of turnout gear for fire and rescue, along with equipment and building maintenance. Chapman applied for these grants on behalf of BVFD, and the local government awarded the full amount of the grants.

According to his plea agreement, on April 11, 2022, Chapman created a company named Rural Public Safety Equipment, LLC. (RPSE), as the sole organizer and member, and registered it with the West Virginia Secretary of State.  Chapman then informed members of the BVFD that he could obtain fire safety equipment at cost from a safety equipment company, and he failed to disclose that he was the owner of the company.  The fire department pre-paid and ordered $76,854.50 worth of fire and safety equipment from RPSE.  Instead of using the prepayments from BVFD to fulfill the orders, Chapman never fulfilled any fire and safety equipment orders, spent all the money on his own personal use, and withdrew $61,500 in cash from the RPSE bank account.

Under federal law, Chapman must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.  Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. Chapman was also ordered to pay $76,854.50 in restitution. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Bruce Roberts, Interim Executive Director, Kentucky Fire Commission, jointly announced the sentencing.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Kentucky Fire Commission.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Dunn-Pirio is prosecuting the matter on behalf of the United States.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

— END —

COVINGTON, Ky. – A Cincinnati, Ohio, man was convicted on Thursday by a federal jury in Covington for armed cocaine trafficking and illegal firearm possession. 

After slightly under three hours of deliberation, following a three-day trial, the jury convicted 33-year-old Anthony Wynn of one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to testimony at trial, in August 2020, law enforcement stopped a vehicle being driven by Wynn to investigate a possible DUI. During the stop, officers located two bags of crack cocaine and a bag of marijuana on Wynn’s person. Officers also found a loaded firearm in the glove box and a digital scale in the center console. An additional loaded firearm was found in the trunk. Wynn possessed the firearms to protect himself, drugs, and drug proceeds from robbery. Also, Wynn was aware at the time of his arrest that he had prior felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Wynn was previously convicted of facilitation of robbery and first degree trafficking in a controlled substance in Campbell County Circuit Court in 2010; and first degree trafficking in a controlled substance, cocaine, and two counts of first degree trafficking in a controlled substance, heroin, in Kenton County Circuit Court in 2015.

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; John Nokes, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Brian Valenti, Covington Police Department, jointly announced the conviction.

The investigation was conducted by ATF and Covington Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tony Bracke and Joel King.

Wynn will appear for sentencing on July 16, 2025. He faces a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of life in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence.

This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities.  It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts.  In the Eastern District of Kentucky, Acting U.S. Attorney McCaffrey coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

— END — 

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Frankfort-based steel wheel manufacturer, Topy America, Inc., agreed to pay the United States $3,840,188.19 to resolve allegations that it improperly obtained a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for which it was not eligible.

Congress created the PPP in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to small American businesses struggling to pay employees and other expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the PPP, eligible small businesses could receive forgivable loans guaranteed by the SBA. When applying for PPP loans, borrowers were required to certify that they were eligible for the requested loans and that the information they provided was true and accurate. Regulations provided various eligibility requirements for the PPP, including limitations on the number of employees.

The settlement resolves allegations that Topy America falsely certified it was eligible to apply for and receive forgiveness of a second-draw PPP loan.  In January 2021, Topy America applied for a second-draw PPP loan for $2,000,000, representing that it had fewer than 300 employees. The government contends that, together with its foreign affiliates, Topy America had more than 300 employees and was therefore ineligible for that loan. Based on its false certification, Topy America received the loan and ultimately received forgiveness of the loan. Topy America cooperated with the United States’ investigation and agreed to compensate the United States for its error.

“Our office is committed to holding accountable businesses and individuals who improperly obtained COVID-19 relief funds,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Paul McCaffrey. “Topy America quickly and responsibly addressed the concerns raised by the United States, and we expect that other PPP recipients who did not follow the applicable rules will do the same.”

“This settlement reflects SBA’s commitment to identifying and pursuing those who perpetrated fraud on the Paycheck Protection Program," said SBA's General Counsel Wendell Davis. "This settlement also exhibits the excellent results from effective SBA and DOJ collaboration to combat the unconscionable misuse of critical pandemic relief programs. SBA continues its enhanced efforts to uncover such misconduct and recover those funds on behalf of the American taxpayers.”

The Government’s work in this investigation illustrates its commitment to combatting COVID-19 fraud. The United States encourages anyone with information about potential fraud involving COVID-19 to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. PPP recipients also may voluntarily disclose self-discovered evidence of fraud involving the PPP to U.S. Attorney’s Offices.

The settlement resolves lawsuits brought by private citizens under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act.  Under those provisions, a private party can file a civil action on behalf of the United States, thereby bringing allegations of fraud to the Government’s attention, and share in any financial recovery.  As part of this resolution, the individuals who filed the qui tam complaints are eligible to receive a portion of the settlement proceeds.  The civil cases are captioned United States ex rel. GNGH2 Inc. v. Topy America, Inc., Case No. 3:24-cv-0003-GFVT and United States ex rel. Blockquote, Inc. v. Topy America, Inc., Case No. 3:24-cv-0028.

This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Stubblebine, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of General Counsel. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.

– END –

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Versailles, Ky., man, Austin David Stafford, 31, was sentenced on Friday to a total of 540 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for production of child pornography.

The sentence is the result of two separate court cases against Stafford. According to his plea agreement from the first court case, Stafford and his co-defendant and girlfriend, Crystal Campbell, now deceased, used a minor victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of creating visual depictions of that conduct on two occasions, once at the couple’s trailer and once in an outdoor setting. Stafford’s Facebook records contained two instances of Stafford distributing the videos. 

According to his plea agreement from the second court case, law enforcement was alerted to Stafford because of a minor victim’s father seeing a group message on Facebook Messenger that contained nude photos of the minor victim. An investigation revealed that Stafford was using a fake persona, “Craig Wright,” on social media to lure the minor victim into an online romance. Under this persona, he obtained intimate details and visual depictions of the minor victim. He then created additional fake personas and used the information that he had learned about the victim to extort and manipulate the minor victim. The “sextortion” scheme led the minor victim to send more sexually explicit visual depictions to Stafford and to engage in sexual acts with him. Eventually, Stafford communicated with James Campbell, 26, of Versailles, Ky., Stafford’s co-defendant, and on June 10, 2022, coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct with Campbell and film it, under the guise that one of his fake personas would hurt her family if she didn’t comply. Stafford admitted to orchestrating the sexual exchange with the victim and Campbell, and that Campbell knowingly and willingly aided and abetted the product of the June 10th series. 

Campbell is scheduled to be sentenced on April 21, 2025. 

Under federal law, Stafford must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 30 years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by FBI and KSP. Hart Megibben, Commonwealth Attorney for the 53rd Judicial Circuit, and Assistant Commonwealth Attorney, Jon Fee, also provided significant assistance to the investigation and prosecution of Stafford’s second case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Melton is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

– END –

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Wilmore, Ky., man, Jason Horton, 43, was sentenced on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, to 35 years in prison, for production of child pornography. 

According to his plea agreement, in October 2023, law enforcement received a tip that Horton, a previously convicted sex offender, was using online platforms to engage in the sexual exploitation of minors.  Law enforcement obtained search warrants for Horton’s residence and electronic devices.  On Horton’s phone, it was revealed that he engaged in online conversations with minors in which he solicited them to produce sexually explicit images.  Horton specifically admitted to engaging in an online relationship with a 16-year-old victim, conducted primarily via Snapchat, and persuading her to create sexually explicit images which were transmitted to him via the internet.

Horton also admitted that he was required to register as a sex offender at the time of this offense, due to a 2004 Kentucky conviction for rape and sodomy in the second degree.

Under federal law, Horton must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.  Upon Horton’s release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Col. Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Sheriff Mike Coyle, Madison County Sherriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by HIS, Kentucky State Police, and Madison County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

— END —

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Lexington, Ky., woman, Abigail Hall, 51, was sentenced on Monday to 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, for tampering with a consumer product. 

According to her plea agreement, between January 2023 and August 2023, Hall worked as a contract registered nurse at several facilities in Kentucky, including a health care facility in Lawrenceburg, Ky., that focused on care for the elderly and infirm. Hall admitted that on August 27, 2023, she took morphine that had been prescribed for three patients that she was treating at the healthcare facility, all of whom had significant disease and pain concerns.  Hall replaced the stolen morphine with water and blue food coloring, to resemble the real medication.  Ultimately, Hall took at least seven syringes of stolen morphine and administered the tampered morphine to at least one of the patients. 

Under federal law, Hall must serve 85 percent of her prison sentence. Upon her release from prison, she will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and George A. Scavdis, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by FDA-OCI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Smith is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

– END –

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Columbus, Ohio, man, Jeffrey Headley, 61, was sentenced on Friday by U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves to 22 years in prison for the production of child pornography. 

According to his plea agreement, law enforcement learned that the victim of a known series of child sexual abuse imagery was located in the Eastern District of Kentucky. The images were originally shared on a Russian-based image sharing website in May 2013 and then distributed worldwide. Based upon the pictures of the offender and the account information of the individual that posted the images, law enforcement identified Headley as the person responsible for creating the images. Headley admitted to producing the images of the victim at a time when the victim was in his care, custody, and control. 

Under federal law, Headley must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Sheriff Mike Coyle, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by HSI and Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

– END –

COVINGTON, Ky. – Two men, John Christopher Davis, 54, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Douglas DeAngelo Wade, 45, of Covington, Kentucky, were sentenced on Friday, to 188 months in prison, by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning. Each was convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine. In addition, Davis was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and Wade was convicted of distribution of cocaine. 

According to their plea agreements and other court filings, from approximately January 1, 2023, through January 26, 2024, Davis and Wade conspired with co-defendants, Terry Mitchell, Michael Labordeaux, Stephen Russ, Gregory Soard and others to knowingly distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine in Kenton County, Ky., and elsewhere. Wade was the head of the conspiracy and regularly supplied cocaine and cocaine base to Davis and others to distribute it. 

Both Davis and Wade had prior drug trafficking convictions.  Davis was previously convicted of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, cocaine, in 2003 and 2006 in Kenton County Circuit Court. He was additionally convicted of possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of cocaine base in 2007 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Similarly, Wade was previously convicted of distribution of over 50 grams of cocaine base in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

Soard was previously sentenced to 96 months in prison in January 2025. Russ was sentenced to 105 months in prison in December 2024. Mitchell is scheduled to be sentenced on April 4, and Labordeaux is scheduled to be sentenced on May 9. 

Under federal law, Davis and Wade must serve 85 percent of their prison sentence. Upon Davis’ release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for six years, and Wade will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for eight years.

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Brian Valenti, Covington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Covington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

– END –

ASHLAND, Ky. – An Ashland, Ky. man, Jere Rason Black, 31, was sentenced on Wednesday, by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to 70 months for three counts of distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine. 

According to his plea agreement, law enforcement received information that Black was distributing methamphetamine in the Greenup County area.  Using a confidential informant, agents conducted three controlled purchases from Black, who distributed a total of 145.23 grams of methamphetamine. 

Under federal law, Black must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.  Upon Black’s release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Director Scott Hardcorn, Northeast Kentucky Drug Task Force, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by DEA, and the Northeast Kentucky Drug Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

— END — 

COVINGTON, Ky. – An Aberdeen, Ohio, man was convicted on Thursday by a federal jury in Covington for multiple drug trafficking charges. 

After slightly over one hour of deliberation, following a four-day trial, the jury convicted 37-year-old Gary Cunningham, Jr. of one count of conspiracy with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and eight counts of distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine. 

According to testimony at trial, law enforcement identified Frederick Overly III, as a source of supply for methamphetamine, and used a confidential informant to make eight controlled purchases from Overly. Each purchase was arranged by the informant calling Overly, who in turn indicated that he would need to get the methamphetamine from his supplier, Cunningham. Each time, Cunningham sold Overly the methamphetamine that Overly subsequently sold to the informant, totaling more than 50 grams. 

Cunningham was previously convicted of three counts of first-degree trafficking of a controlled substance in Mason County Circuit Court in 2013, and second-degree robbery in Mason County Circuit Court in 2014.    

Cunningham and Overly were indicted in July 2023. Overly pleaded guilty to his charges in August 2024.

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; jointly announced the conviction.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tony Bracke and Drew Spievack. 

Cunningham will appear for sentencing on May 29, 2025. He faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence.

— END — 

COVINGTON, Ky. – A Walton, Ky., man, Robert Maxwell Werner, 46, was sentenced on Friday to 30 years in prison, by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for extraterritorial production of child pornography.   

According to his plea agreement, Werner is a U.S. citizen who was living in the Philippines from February 2021 through November 2021.  During this time, Werner became the customer of a Filipino individual who would sell access to dozens of minor victims for in-person or livestreamed sexual acts. For several months, Werner paid this individual for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and multiple in‑person meetings with minor males in the Philippines. Specifically, Werner admitted to engaging in sexually explicit conduct with at least one minor for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct between July 2021 and November 2021, while in the Philippines. Werner further admitted to transporting that sexually explicit material into the United States.

Under federal law, Werner must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 20 years.

Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Paul McCaffrey for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, announced the sentencing.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit, with substantial assistance from the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth and Trial Attorney Rachel Rothberg, with the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Department of Justice, are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

– END –

A Kentucky man was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in the Philippines.

According to court documents, from February 2021 through November 2021, while living in the Philippines, Robert Maxwell Werner, 46, of Walton, purchased access from a Filipino individual to dozens of minor victims for in-person, livestreamed, and recorded sexual acts. For several months, Werner paid this individual for custom-created CSAM, in which the individual would sexually abuse these minors and force the minors to engage in sexual acts together for foreign customers like Werner. Werner also paid the individual for five in‑person meetings with minors at hotels and rental properties in the Philippines. During those meetings, Werner sexually abused multiple minors. In exchange, Werner would provide money, food, clothing, and basic necessities for the minors, who lived in desperate circumstances.

As part of his plea agreement, Werner admitted to engaging in sexually explicit conduct with at least one minor for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct between July 2021 and November 2021, while in the Philippines. Werner further admitted to transporting that sexually explicit material into the United States. Additionally, once he returned to the United States, Werner continued to solicit CSAM from the individual for at least another month.

Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Paul McCaffrey for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.

The FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.

Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth for the Eastern District of Kentucky prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

COVINGTON, Ky. – An Edgewood, Ky. man, Eric Fultz, 52, was sentenced on Friday to 262 months in prison, by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for possession with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine.

According to his plea agreement, on June 29, 2024, law enforcement stopped Fultz’s vehicle travelling on Interstate 75 in Erlanger.  Shortly thereafter, a K-9 alerted to the odor of narcotics coming from the vehicle.  Officers searched the vehicle and found 55.5 grams of actual methamphetamine.  Fultz admitted in his plea agreement that he possessed the methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it.

Under federal law, Fultz must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.  Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years.

Paul C. McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Director Scott Hardcorn, Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA and the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Winslow prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

— END — 

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Frankfort attorney, Brian Logan, 51, was sentenced on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Gregory VanTatenhove to 36 months, for wire fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering.  

According to court documents, Logan prepared a will for a client in August 2018.  After the client passed away, Logan was appointed executor of the client’s estate, which included real property and cash.  The will directed that the majority of the estate’s assets be distributed among certain charities.  Instead, Logan transferred $239,600 from the estate bank account to his personal bank accounts in a series of transactions from October 10, 2018, to August 31, 2023.  Logan then used these funds for personal expenses, including to make payments on his credit card.

Logan also used fraudulent transactions to transfer the ownership of the estate’s real property to himself.  Using his role as executor, he caused the estate to conduct a fictitious transaction selling the property to a friend, then effected a second fictitious transaction causing the friend to sell the property to an entity Logan owned.  In each transaction, Logan forged the friend’s name and signature on the deeds. Logan then collected rent on the property for nearly six years, using the funds to make payments on personal credit cards.

In addition, Logan submitted fraudulent documents to a bank in connection with a loan application for the property.  He provided the bank with one of the forged deeds and a fraudulent lease that again used his friend’s name and forged signature.  Logan used the loan proceeds, totaling $116,000, for his personal benefit.

Under federal law, Logan must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. Additionally, as part of his sentencing, Logan is required to pay $178,381 in restitution. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Robert Holman, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service; and Russell Coleman, Kentucky Attorney General, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service and the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Mattingly Williams is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

– END –

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Debord, Ky., man, Dustin Newsome, 35, was sentenced on Friday to 35 years in prison, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell for production of child pornography. 

According to his plea agreement, in August 2023, the parent of the minor victim called law enforcement and reported that she had located THC vape cartridges in her child’s room.  The minor victim stated that he received the cartridges and a cellphone from a mail carrier, later identified as Newsome, in exchange for nude images and sexually explicit videos.  Law enforcement discovered nine minor victims that reported having produced sexually explicit images and videos at Newsome’s request.

A search of Newsome’s residence revealed devices that contained numerous sexually explicit images, videos, and recordings of live chats between Newsome and at least four of the minor victims. In addition to the images and videos he produced, there were several hundred images and videos of prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct that Newsome had obtained from the internet and stored on his electronic devices.  These images and videos were obtained over many years beginning in 2013. 

Under federal law, Newsome must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years. Newsome was also ordered to pay $105,000 in restitution. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by FBI and KSP.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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COVINGTON, Ky. – A Newport, Ky., man, Raymond Hammond, Jr., 38, was sentenced on Friday by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning to 15 years, for attempted possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. 

According to his plea agreement, on March 1, 2024, law enforcement intercepted a package containing over 1300 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine that was addressed to a residence in Newport.  Agents learned that someone inquired about the package’s status from a particular phone number.  On March 5, 2024, agents conducted a controlled delivery of the package to the Newport residence, leaving it on the porch.  Once the package was taken inside the residence, agents conducted a search of the residence and found Hammond’s co-defendant, Redrick Mincy, 26, and the package. Mincy admitted that he agreed to receive the package for Hammond. Hammond was later arrested by law enforcement, and admitted that he intended to possess the methamphetamine mixture with the intention of distributing it. 

Mincy was previously sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. 

Under federal law, Hammond must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon Hammond’s release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Lesley Allison, Special Agent in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pittsburgh Field Division, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by USPIS.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Spievack is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

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PIKEVILLE, Ky. – A Pikeville, Ky. man, Christopher Springfield, 43, was sentenced on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves to 172 months, for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, including 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and 28 grams of cocaine. 

According to his plea agreement, in April and May of 2024, law enforcement used a confidential informant to make two controlled purchases of fentanyl from Springfield. On May 24, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence Springfield occupied, and located over 400 grams of methamphetamine, over 200 grams of fentanyl, over 100 grams of cocaine, a firearm, and $18,537 in cash. Springfield admitted to possessing these substances and intended to distribute them. 

In 2011, Springfield had previously been sentenced to 92 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.

Under federal law, Springfield must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.  Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for eight years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew Trimble prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

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LONDON, Ky. – A Harlan, Ky., woman, Leslie Brock, 59, was sentenced on February 19, by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom, to 250 months in prison, for conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl which resulted in the death of another person. 

According to evidence presented at trial and court documents, in January 2023 and continuing until October 2023, Brock conspired with her co-defendant, Brendan Miller, to knowingly distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl that ultimately resulted in the death of a victim.  Specifically, Brock made frequent trips to a source of supply in Lexington to purchase fentanyl and then distributed the fentanyl to individuals in Harlan County, including Miller. On one occasion, Brock purchased fentanyl in Lexington, returned to Harlan and sold a portion of it to Miller, who then distributed a portion of it to a victim, who died after taking it. Brock was convicted at trial in October 2024.  Miller pled guilty to his role in the fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.  A third defendant, Aaron Robinson, also pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking.

Under federal law, Brock must serve 85 percent of her prison sentence. Upon her release from prison, she will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.

In addition to Brock’s punishment, Miller was sentenced to 132 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and Robinson was sentenced to 63 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Chief Cedric Anderson, Auburn Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by DEA, KSP, and the Auburn Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

– END –

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Lexington man, Sam Connor, Jr., 30, was sentenced on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove to 180 months, for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. 

According to his plea agreement, on April 27, 2023, law enforcement officers received information that Connor was a possible supplier of fentanyl in Fayette County and had arranged a sale of 500 pills containing fentanyl.  Upon contacting Connor, law enforcement found a stolen firearm on his person, and Connor admitted to possessing drugs as well.  Officers then found a plastic bag on Connor’s person containing pressed fentanyl pills, and located an unloaded firearm and digital scales in his vehicle. 

 Connor admitted to being in possession of the firearm and knew that he had been convicted of a felony, robbery second degree in Fayette Circuit Court in 2015, and was prohibited from possessing the firearm. 

Under federal law, Connor must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for eight years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; AJ Gibes, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by ATF and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities.  It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts.  In the Eastern District of Kentucky, Acting U.S. Attorney McCaffrey coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

– END –

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Lexington, woman, Amy Lynn Cook, 38, was sentenced on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory VanTatenhove, to 276 months, for production of child pornography. 

According to her plea agreement, on December 1, 2023, law enforcement received a tip that a Google user, later identified as Cook, had uploaded child sexual abuse material to the platform. Law enforcement also identified additional tips that indicated that Cook had uploaded child pornography images to various other social media platforms, including Facebook.  In an interview with law enforcement, Cook admitted that she would sell images, including sexually explicit images of minors, to others on the internet. Search warrants obtained for Cook’s social media accounts and electronic devices led to the discovery of child pornography images, including images of infant that had been produced by Cook. Cook stated that someone requested the image via the internet and that she had been paid to produce and send it.

Under federal law, Cook must serve 85 percent of her prison sentence.  Upon Cook’s release from prison, she will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by HSI and Lexington Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

— END —

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A West Virginia man, Richard Hudson, 72, was sentenced on Friday, by U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, to 139 months, for bank robbery by intimidation.  

According to his plea agreement, on February 15, 2024, Hudson robbed the Traditional Bank on Tates Creek Road in Lexington.  Hudson approached a teller, placed a grocery bag and a note on the counter, and demanded that the teller empty the contents of her drawer into the bag.  The teller did so and attempted to hand the bag back to Hudson, who then demanded for her to empty the bottom drawer as well.  The teller did so, and Hudson was able to obtain $14,106 during the robbery.  He fled the scene and was eventually apprehended in Charleston, WV.  Hudson, a career offender, has robbed a series of banks across the Nation since the 1980s.

Under federal law, Hudson must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.  Upon his release from prison, Hudson will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Lexington Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Chapman prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

— END —

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Lexington man, Sanchaze Roberts, 28, was sentenced on Friday, by U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, to 151 months, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a mixture containing fentanyl.

According to his plea agreement, on August 14, 2024, law enforcement, using a confidential source, arranged the purchase of one pound of methamphetamine from Roberts.  Roberts agreed to deliver the methamphetamine to the confidential source at a series of locations dictated by Roberts.  Roberts traveled to the location, and when law enforcement surrounded his vehicle, he attempted to flee.  Law enforcement ultimately apprehended Roberts and located 401.4 grams of methamphetamine and 12.5 grams of fentanyl in his vehicle.

Under federal law, Roberts must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.  Upon his release from prison, Roberts will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA.  Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Chapman prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

— END —

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Lexington man, Adam Pursifull, 40, was sentenced on Friday, by U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, to 124 months, for possession of a firearm as a prohibited person.  

According to his plea agreement, on April 23, 2024, law enforcement received information leading to the arrest of Adam Pursifull on an outstanding parole warrant.  During the arrest and a search, officers located a loaded firearm in Pursifull’s possession.  Pursifull had previously been convicted by the Fayette Circuit Court of trafficking in a controlled substance first degree, in May 2014, and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Under federal law, Pursifull must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.  Upon his release from prison, Pursifull will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; AJ Gibes, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Jeremy Honaker, Acting U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Commissioner Cookie Crews, Kentucky Department of Corrections, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by ATF, U.S Marshal’s Service, and the Kentucky Department of Corrections.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities.  It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts.  In the Eastern District of Kentucky, Acting U.S. Attorney McCaffrey coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

— END —

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Cincinnati, Ohio, man, Gene Primus, 32, was sentenced on Friday, by U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, to 400 months, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and heroin.  

According to his plea agreement, law enforcement used a cooperating source to conduct a controlled buy of fentanyl from Fred Hardin, Primus’s co-defendant.  Law enforcement began conducting surveillance of Hardin at a Lexington residence and observed Primus leaving the residence carrying a bucket and a bag and placing the items in a vehicle. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle and found 2,987 grams of methamphetamine. A search of the residence revealed large amounts of additional methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, as well as digital scales, blenders with residue, plastic bags, cutting agents, and a loaded handgun.

Hardin, Primus’ co-defendant, was previously sentenced to 312 months in December 2024.

Under federal law, Primus and Hardin must both serve 85 percent of their prison sentences.  Upon their release from prison, they will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years. 

Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA.  Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Chapman prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

— END —

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Harrison County doctor, Michael Gainey, 70, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, before U.S. District Judge Gregory VanTatenhove to the seven counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance.   

According to his plea agreement, Gainey practiced as a family medicine specialist in Harrison County. In that role, Gainey treated and prescribed controlled substances to a number of patients with whom he maintained personal relationships. Gainey knew and intended that the prescriptions he issued to these patients were outside the scope of legitimate medical practice, in part because of the ongoing relationships he maintained with these patients and because Gainey relaxed applicable prescribing standards for these patients.  Gainey’s plea agreement lists seven patients that he had ongoing relationships with during the course of his conduct.  For each of the patients, he wrote dozens of prescriptions for hydrocodone, oxycodone, gabapentin, and other controlled substances.

Paul C. McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division, jointly announced the guilty plea.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy Boone is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. 

Gainey is scheduled to be sentenced on June 30.  He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for each of the seven counts and a fine of $1 million.  However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.

— END — 

LONDON, Ky. – A Hazard, Ky., man, Herbert Allen, was sentenced on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom, to 126 months, for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. 

According to his plea agreement, on May 30, 2023, Allen knowingly possessed with the intent to distribute a kilogram of methamphetamine.  Specifically, based on an investigation, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Allen’s residence.  Upon their arrival, Allen was in his vehicle.  When approached, Allen admitted to police that a backpack containing a large amount of methamphetamine was in the vehicle.  A search of the vehicle revealed approximately 1,084 grams of methamphetamine, plastic baggies, and a large quantity of cash.

Under federal law, Allen must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.  Upon Allen’s release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. 

Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and KSP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

— END —

LONDON, Ky. – A Hazard, Ky., man, Clifton Plowman, 41, was sentenced on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom, to 181 months, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. 

According to his plea agreement, following a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Plowman, law enforcement recovered multiple bags from the vehicle, containing 22 grams of methamphetamine and two sets of digital scales.  On his person, they found $2,065 in cash and 50 grams of methamphetamine.

Under federal law, Plowman must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.  Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. 

Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and KSP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

— END —

LONDON, Ky. – An Antioch, Tennessee, man, and former South Laurel Middle School teacher and basketball coach, William Goodson, 32, was sentenced on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom, to 246 months, for online enticement of a minor. 

According to his plea agreement, from August 2023 through February 23, 2024, while he was a teacher at the Middle School, Goodson persuaded a minor to engage in sexual activity. Specifically, Goodson communicated many sexually explicit messages with the victim, through text messages and Snapchat. When questioned, Goodson told police that his relationship with the minor was like that of a boyfriend, and he further admitted to buying the victim gifts and communicating daily, via Snapchat.  Ultimately, Goodson convinced the minor victim to engage in sexual contact, on multiple occasions, within his classroom.

Under federal law, Goodson must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.  Upon Goodson’s release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 20 years. 

Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Jerry Hollon, London Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and London Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

— END —

LONDON, Ky. – An Irvine, Ky., man, Chad Newman, 40, was sentenced to 87 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier, for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone. 

According to his plea agreement, from January 1, 2019, until April 11, 2023, Newman conspired with others to distribute oxycodone pills in Madison, Estill, Laurel, Clay, and Knox Counties.  During this time frame, Newman obtained oxycodone 30 mg pills from a source of supply in Louisville, which he would then sell to mid-and lower-level drug traffickers and drug users throughout Southeast Kentucky. 

Under federal law, Newman must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.  Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. 

Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Louisville Field Division; Col. Phillip Burnett, Commissioner, Kentucky State Police; and Sheriff Chris Flynn, Estill Count Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by DEA, KSP, Madison County Drug Task Force, and Estill County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Dotson prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

— END — 

LEXINGTON Ky. – A Lexington man, Jamele Mundy, 35, was sentenced on Monday, to 156 months in prison, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, conspiracy to commit money laundering offenses, and concealment money laundering.

According to his guilty plea agreements and other Court records, Mundy participated in a multi-jurisdictional, international money laundering and drug trafficking organization.  In doing so, Mundy received kilogram quantities of fentanyl and cocaine base (“crack” cocaine) for distribution in Lexington.  In May 2023, DEA executed a search warrant at a stash house being operated by Mundy.  There, they seized 3.132 kilograms of fentanyl, 2.314 kilograms of cocaine base, and $67,315 in cash.  The residence also contained plastic blenders with drug residue, a metal kilogram press, heat sealing machines, and a digital scale.

Mundy would process these narcotics for further distribution, using the kilogram press and heat-sealing machine at the residence.  He would then collect the money from the sale of these drugs and contact his source of supply, to return the proceeds.  Mundy participated in this money laundering of drug proceeds by delivering bulk cash to others, who were responsible for converting it to cryptocurrency and sending those proceeds to members of the  drug trafficking organization.  In February 2023, Mundy delivered $147,540 in drug proceeds for laundering.

Under federal law, Mundy must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.  Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.  Mundy was also required to forfeit the $67,315 that was seized from his residence. 

Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the DEA.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Bradbury is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

– END –

LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Pikeville, Ky., man, Samuel C. Atkins, 52, was sentenced on Friday, by U.S. District Chief Judge Danny C. Reeves, to 396 months, for possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, distribution of fluorofentanyl, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. 

According to court documents, on January 3, 2023, the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force located Atkins, who was wanted on two outstanding state arrest warrants, at a residence in Richmond.  During a search of the residence, law enforcement located sixteen firearms and quantities of methamphetamine and fluorofentanyl in Atkins’s bedroom. Atkins, who had several prior felony convictions, later admitted to obtaining some of these firearms through his drug trafficking. Atkins was taken into custody and lodged at the Madison County Detention Center.

A few days later, detention center employees responded to Atkins’s cell, where four other inmates had suffered non-fatal overdoses.  A subsequent search of Atkins’s cell revealed multiple baggies containing approximately two and a half ounces of fentanyl and/or fluorofentanyl.  Atkins later admitted to concealing the drugs, bringing them into the detention center after his arrest on January 3, and distributing them to the other inmates.

Under federal law, Atkins must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence.  Upon Atkins’s release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for eight years. 

Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Jeremy Honaker, Acting U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Sheriff Mike Coyle, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Paco Villalobos prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

— END —