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Paducah, KY – 7 Defendants Indicted for Methamphetamine Distribution and Firearm-Related Offenses
A federal grand jury in Paducah, Kentucky, has returned indictments against seven individuals for their alleged roles in methamphetamine distribution and firearm-related offenses. The indictments, filed earlier this week, charge the defendants with various crimes, including possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and firearm charges.
According to the indictments, Edward M. Ibold, 37, and Nickole J. Console, 27, both of Grand Rivers, Kentucky, were charged with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office.
Donald K. Duncan, 51, of Salem, Kentucky, was also charged with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Kentucky State Police, and the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office.
Billy J. Burns, 30, of Paducah, Kentucky, was charged with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office, and the Graves County Sheriff’s Office.
Joseph R. Smith, 31, of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Detroit, Michigan, was charged with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office.
Richard Middleton, 41, and Bobby Copeland, 52, both of Tiline, Kentucky, were charged with conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and with distributing methamphetamine. Middleton was also charged with two additional counts of distributing methamphetamine and with two counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Western Kentucky Violent Crimes Task Force, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kentucky State Police.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus is prosecuting the cases, except for the U.S. v. Joseph R. Smith case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth Hancock.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, the defendants face significant prison time, including not less than 10 years and not more than life in prison for possession with the intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine. Middleton faces a 10-year term of imprisonment for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. There is no parole in the federal system.
Key Facts
- State: Kentucky
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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