Kenton County Woman Gets 10.5 Years for Meth Trafficking

COVINGTON, Ky. – A Kenton County woman is headed to prison for a long time after getting caught with a stash of methamphetamine.

Nalisha Nichole Stewart, 38 of Elsemere, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David Bunning to 126 months in the slammer, with a mandatory minimum of 85% of the sentence – a whopping 107.1 months – for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to her plea agreement, in May and June 2023, law enforcement conducted two controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Stewart. The first purchase tested positive for approximately 29.2 grams of the highly addictive and destructive drug.

But that wasn’t all – before the second controlled purchase, law enforcement busted Stewart’s vehicle during a traffic stop and found an additional 24.832 grams of methamphetamine. This haul brings the total amount of methamphetamine Stewart was caught with to a staggering 54.032 grams.

Stewart’s prison sentence will be followed by six years of supervised release under the watchful eye of the U.S. Probation Office. This means Stewart will have to report to a probation officer and adhere to strict rules and guidelines after her release.

The joint investigation was conducted by the DEA and the Florence Police Department Drug Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Winslow is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. The sentencing was announced by Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Detroit Field Division, and Chief Jeff Mallery, Florence Police Department.