Human trafficking charge tops Lawrence County indictments
By Lilly Adkins
BSN Associate Editor
LOUISA — The Lawrence County Grand Jury returned 21 indictments Thursday.
Named in the true bills were:
• Govindlal Patel, 62, of Louisa, charged with third-degree sexual abuse and criminal attempt/human trafficking for allegedly subjecting another person to attempting to subject another individual to engage in forced services or commercial sexual activity through the use of fraud or coercion on June 21, 2022.
• Paul J. Chaffin, 42, of Louisa, charged with second-degree arson for allegedly intentionally starting a fire on Nov. 13, 2022, and causing the destruction of a 2013 Dodge Avenger owned by another Louisa resident.
• Cody L. Maynard, 19, of Louisa, charged with first-degree wanton endangerment for allegedly engaging in conduct that created a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury to another person on Oct. 12, 2022.
• Cory P. Ferrell, 26, of Louisa, charged with theft of identity for allegedly using former or current information of another with the intent to represent himself for the purpose of deceiving or defrauding on Dec. 15, 2022.
• Samantha Johnson, 31, and Hansel Wiley, 52, both of Louisa, charged with first-degree possession of a controlled substance/complicity and possession of drug paraphernalia/complicity for allegedly, acting alone or in complicity with each other, possessing methamphetamine, altered straws, syringes and individual plastic baggies on Dec. 15, 2022.
• Will P. Brown, 44, of Salyersville, charged with theft by deception over $1,000 but less than $10,000 for allegedly engaging in a course of conduct that deprived Browns Food Service of Louisa of $1,048 by issuing fuel receipts that did not reflect monetary refunds that he received from Nov. 8, 2021, through July 7, 2022.
• Lester Finley, 53, of Louisa, is charged with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, trafficking in marijuana, theft of a motor vehicle registration plate and resisting arrest for allegedly possessing approximately 10.95 grams of methamphetamine, marijuana, syringes, a set of digital scales, Narcan, notebook ledgers, grinders, and multiple pipes with the intent to traffic methamphetamine and marijuana; taking a government registration plate or renewal decal and treating it as his own with no authority by the owner to do so; and attempting to prevent police officers from effecting an arrest by using or threatening to use physical force against police officers on Nov. 10, 2020.
• Kristina Caudill, 28, of Louisa, charged with second-degree burglary for allegedly entering a dwelling house located on Old Creek Road in Lawrence County with the intent to commit theft on Oct. 7, 2022.
• Brandie Hale, 37, of Louisa, charged with first-degree possession of a controlled substance and possession/drug paraphernalia for allegedly possessing methamphetamine and altered glass pipes on Oct. 14, 2022.
• Jesse J. Young, 23, of Fort Gay, W.Va., charged with theft by unlawful taking over $1,000 for allegedly taking $3,068.78 worth of Delta 8 THC vape pins from Zip Zone Express, while employed there, on Nov. 26, 2022.
• William A. Cassady, 34, of Fort Gay, W.Va., charged with receiving stolen property under $10,000 for allegedly possessing a 2019 Honda motor scooter stolen from a residence in Louisa on Dec. 31, 2022, with a value of $1,450.
• Nicklas Perry, 21, of Louisa, charged in two separate indictments with first-degree possession of a controlled substance for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on Dec. 1, 2022, and with second-degree burglary for allegedly entering a dwelling on Sackie Lane with the intent to commit theft on June 6, 2022.
• Frenchie Watts, 45, of Fort Gay, W.Va., charged with first-degree possession of a controlled substance for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on Dec. 12, 2022.
• Michael Pennington, 36, of Grayson, charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs, fourth offense or greater within 10 years, aggravating circumstances; first-degree persistent felony offender; first-degree driving DUI suspended, aggravating circumstances; first-degree possession of a controlled substance; reckless driving; and vehicle a nuisance, noisy, etc., for allegedly operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or other substances that impair a driver’s ability to operate that motor vehicle and refusing consent for testing, while having three previous convictions of KRS 189A.010; being in physical control of the motor vehicle while his operator’s license were suspended for a violation of KRS 189A.010; possessing methamphetamine; operating a motor vehicle upon the roadways without due regard for the safety and convenience of pedestrians and other vehicles; and operating a motor vehicle without proper and adequate exhaust silencers and equipment on March 2, 2022.
• James W. Harless, 56, of Tomahawk, charged with theft by unlawful taking over $10,000 but less than $1 million and first-degree persistent felony offender for allegedly taking a 2021 Suzuki KingQuad all-terrain vehicle, with a value exceeding $10,000, on July 22, 2022, and for having previously been convicted of a felony.
• Randall Thompson, 59, of Louisa, charged with receiving stolen property under $10,000 and first-degree possession of a controlled substance for allegedly possessing numerous tools stolen from a Louisa resident, with an approximate value of $4,000, and possessing methamphetamine on Nov. 18, 2022.
• Ronald Shawn Bias, 48, of Lincoln, W.Va.; Christopher C. Blackburn, 40, of East Lynn; and Tina Ferguson, 46, of Wayne, W.Va., charged with theft by unlawful taking under $1,000/complicity for allegedly, acting alone or in complicity with each other, taking four Ford catalytic converters, two General Motors catalytic converters and an aftermarket catalytic converter that were owned by a Louisa man on catalytic converters on Dec. 18, 2020.
(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.)