A federal jury in Kentucky has found Robert Blaine, 46, of Hopkinsville, guilty of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine and over 400 grams of a fentanyl mixture.
According to court documents, between May 20, 2020, and January 22, 2022, Blaine conspired with Roderick Tutt and Jessica Ochoa to possess with the intent to distribute the controlled substances. During that time frame, Blaine wired money to Ochoa as payment for the drugs and in furtherance of the overall conspiracy.
Blaine also mailed a box containing $36,960 in U.S. currency to Ochoa that he obtained from proceeds of illegal drug sales. On January 21, 2022, Blaine arranged for Tutt to travel to Arizona to pick up fentanyl and methamphetamine from Ochoa. Tutt was supposed to bring the drugs back to Blaine in Hopkinsville.
Tutt was arrested on the way back to Hopkinsville with 2,059 fentanyl pills and approximately 8 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Blaine has numerous prior drug trafficking convictions.
Blaine is scheduled for sentencing on May 5, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the DEA Paducah Post of Duty, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Division, ATF – Louisville Division, and the Hopkinsville Police Department, with assistance from the FBI Louisville Field Division, the Tonto Apache Police Department, and the DEA – Phoenix Division. Assistant United States Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus prosecuted the case with assistance from paralegal Cristy Crockett.
The investigation and prosecution of this case are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation.
Related Federal Cases
- James W. Harris Jr, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Kentucky 2023 · Tennessee
- Robert J. Bondonno, Fraud and Money Laundering, Kentucky 2022 · Oklahoma
- Jose Chavez-Meraz, Fentanyl Trafficking, Ohio 2024 · Kansas
- Jason Lee Robinson, Bank Robbery, Kentucky 2019 · Idaho
- James Underwood, Meth Fentanyl Ring, Washington 2023 · New York
Key Facts
- State: Kentucky
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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