Four people arrested on various charges after welfare check in Louisa

By Roberta Cantrell

BSN Editor

Four people were arrested after police were serving a warrant on Deborah Copley, 71, of Catlettsburg and conducting a welfare check on an elderly man at a residence on Old Lick Creek Road in Louisa.

In a report by Lawrence County Deputy Joseph Osborne, he, along with Deputy Travis Music and Louisa Ptl. Shelby Taylor arrived at the residence and when he knocked on the door and announced himself, a male looked through a curtain in the living room and then ran into the bedroom.

Deputy Osborne said he saw a female run past the door and Deputy Music saw her through the bedroom window.

Deputy Osborne went to the back door and observed someone peeking through the back door window but could not identify them.

Ptl. Taylor was let into the residence by the homeowner and when Deputy Osborne entered the home, he observed Copley in the kitchen and placed her under arrest.

Deputy Osborne then conducted a sweep of the residence to check for other occupants and located Johnny Ratliff, 58, of Louisa, hiding in the shower. He was detained and placed on the couch. As the deputy continued the sweep, he entered the back bedroom and observed a tray with loose pills and marijuana on it.

The deputy spoke with the elderly man who police were conducting the welfare check on and he gave consent to search the residence based on the marijuana located in the bedroom.

The report went on the state that police also found a spoon with Methamphetamine residue, two marijuana pipes, multiple grinders and rolling papers.

Deputy Osborne then went into the bathroom where Ratliff was located and found a razor blade on the sink and an uncapped needle on the floor beside the toilet. When he removed the lid to the tank of the toilet, he located a baggie of Methamphetamine and a baggie of heroin. At that time Ratliff was placed under arrest.

When officers went into another bedroom, they found a bundle of cut straws under the comforter on the bed.

After returning to the living room the deputy flipped the couch cushion and located a baggie of blue powder substance believed to be Fentanyl, as well as a roll of aluminum foil, baggies with residue in them and a tourniquet.

Ratliff had been the one sitting on that couch when police arrived and seen him looking through the curtain. He said the items under the couch belonged to the other male in the home Lacy Hall, 25, of Louisa, who denied the accusation.

Arrested during this incident were Deborah Copley on an indictment warrant for charges of engaging in organized crime; Johnny Ratliff first-degree possession of Methamphetamine, first-degree possession of Heroin, first-degree possession of Fentanyl, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and tampering with physical evidence; Lacy Hall first-degree possession of Methamphetamine, first-degree possession of Heroin, first-degree possession of Fentanyl, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia; and Brenda Graves, 62, of Louisa, first-degree possession of Methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia. Graves was charged after the spoon with Methamphetamine residue, two marijuana pipes grinders and rolling papers were found in the bedroom where she admited she shares with her husband when they stay at the residence.