Burglary, Arson, Theft and Trafficking Among Lawrence County Indictments

By Roberta Cantrell

BSN Associate Editor

The Lawrence County Grand Jury handed down six true bills for the month of April.

Among those indicted is Cody Maynard, 21, of Louisa.

The grand jury charges that on March 7, of this year Maynard acting in complicity with Xavier Brewer, 19, of Louisa committed the offense of burglary in the second degree by knowingly and unlawfully entering and remaining in a dwelling house owned by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) located on Shiloh Drive with the intent to commit the crime of theft therein.

Brewer was also named in the indictments with the same charges as Maynard acting in complicity. Both were incarcerated under a $10,000 bail.

Michael Wellman, 54, of Louisa was charged by the grand jury for arson.

The indictment stated that on November 10, 2023 Wellman committed the offense of arson in the second degree by intentionally starting a fire, causing the destruction of the dwelling house of Khrista Wellman with the intent to destroy or damage the home. He was incarcerated under a $25,000 bond.

Joshua Neal Blair, 39, of Paintsville was charged with second degree burglary when on February 9 of this year he committed the offense of burglary by unlawfully entering and remaining in the dwelling house of Joyce Gilliam with the intent to commit a crime of theft therein. Blair was incarcerated under a $10,000 bond.

Robert Gillespie, 49, of Louisa was charged in two separate indictments.

The first indictment charges that on November 8, Gillespie knowingly and unlawfully was in possession of 1.602 grams of Methamphetamine with the intent to traffic or by trafficking in the 1.602 grams of Methamphetamine.

Along with that charge, Gillespie is also charged with persistent felony offender in the second degree.

He was incarcerated under a $10,000 bond.

(Editor’s note: An indictment is not an indication of guilt but a determination by a grand jury that criminal charges warrant further judicial review.)