William J. Hampton, Methamphetamine Trafficking, Kentucky 2018

A federal jury in Lexington has found William J. Hampton, of Lincoln County, Kentucky, guilty of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Hampton, a convicted felon, was stopped by officers on February 27, 2018, after they observed him driving a vehicle with no taillights and a flat tire. Hampton falsely identified himself during the stop and attempted to flee, leading officers on an approximately 3-mile pursuit down U.S. highway 27 in Lincoln County, Kentucky.

After apprehending Hampton, officers located approximately 120 grams of methamphetamine and a .40 caliber Smith and Wesson pistol in the front passenger area of the vehicle. The sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for June 8, 2018, at the federal courthouse in Lexington.

Hampton faces a minimum mandatory sentence of not less than 10 years nor more than life imprisonment on the drug offense. Because the jury also convicted Hampton of possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking crime, Hampton also faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years consecutive to any sentence imposed for the drug offense.

The case is part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, a federal initiative to reduce violent crime through partnerships between federal, state, and local law enforcement. The goal of the PSN Program is to use these partnerships to make communities safer.

ATF, Stanford Police Department, and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Tanner Bradley and Ron Walker represented the United States in the case.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edky/pr/lincoln-county-man-convicted-jury-drug-trafficking-and-firearm-offenses