Johnson County Grand Jury Indicts Nineteen

By Lilly Adkins

BSN Associate Editor

PAINTSVILLE —The Johnson County Grand Jury issued true bills of indictment on July 21.

•Jesse Russell, 49, of Salyersville, is charged with first-degree possession of a controlled substance; operating a motor vehicle while under the influence, second offense within a 10-year period; two counts of third-degree possession of a controlled substance; no registration plate; failure of owner to maintain required insurance and no operator’s license.

On or before May 2, Russell was allegedly in possession of methamphetamine; was operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol; was in possession of Gabapentin and Clonazepam; failed to have a registration receipt; failed to have registration plates; was operating a motor vehicle without required insurance and was operating a motor vehicle upon a Kentucky roadway without an operator’s license.

•Howard Lemaster, 50, of Falcon, is charged with two counts of first-degree possession of a controlled substance and operating a motor vehicle on a suspended or revoked operator’s license.

On or before April 18, Lemaster was allegedly in possession of methamphetamine, 0.140 grams of fentanyl and he operated a motor vehicle while his license to operate had been suspended or revoked.

•Andrea Brown, 27, of Swamp Branch, is charged with two counts of first-degree possession of a controlled substance; prescription of a controlled substance not in the proper container and no or expired registration plates.

On or about March 9, Brown was allegedly in possession of Oxycodone and Hydrocodone, that were not in the proper container and she operated a motor vehicle upon a Kentucky roadway without proper registration plates.

•Angel Gipson, 44, of Salyersville, is charged with first-degree strangulation and third-degree assault of a correctional employee.

On or before March 9, Gipson allegedly applied pressured to the throat or neck of another or by blocking the nose or mouth of another person, namely correctional officer, Nicole Puckett and she caused physical injury to Puckett with the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center while she was working in her official capacity.

•John Ray Adkins, 47, of Stambaugh, is charged with first-degree strangulation; fourth-degree assault, domestic violence and third-degree terroristic threatening.

On or before March 16, Adkins allegedly applied pressure to the throat or neck of another, or by blocking the nose or mouth of another person, namely Patricia Hooser; he caused physical injury to Hooser and he threatened to commit the crime of murder and or assault to Hooser.

•John M. Ward, 46, of Offutt, is charged with first-degree possession of a controlled substance and public intoxication.

On or about April 29, Ward was allegedly in possession of methamphetamine and was manifestly under the influence of a controlled substance.

•Nicholas Patrick, 40, homeless, according to the officer’s report, is charged with two counts of first-degree possession of a controlled substance.

On or about June 16, Patrick was allegedly in possession of methamphetamine and Oxycodone.

•Brandon Castle, 38, of Meally, is charged with first-degree promoting contraband.

On or before June 29, Castle allegedly introduced, obtained or possessed a controlled substance into the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center, namely methamphetamine.

•Kayla Simpkins, 34, and Ronald L. Sammons, 32, both of Paintsville, are both charged with three counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance/complicity; trafficking a controlled substance within 1,000 yards of a school/complicity and p0ossession/use of drug paraphernalia/complicity. Simpkins is additionally charged as a second-degree persistent felony offender and Sammons is additionally charged as a first-degree persistent felony offender.

On or before July 12, Simpkins and Sammons, acting alone or in complicity with each other were in possession of methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, three sets of digital scales, small individual plastic bags, with the intent to traffic, within 1,000 yards of Paintsville Elementary and High School; they were in possession of three syringes containing a liquid substance and they are both previously convicted felons.

•Roy Gibson, 54, of Salyersville, James Robert Castle, 42, and Kelly Keen, 44, both of Paintsville, are charged with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. Gibson is additionally charged as a first-degree persistent felony offender. Castle and Keen are additionally charged with two counts of trafficking a controlled substance within 1,000 yards of a school and both are charged with first-degree persistent felony offender.

On or before June 30, Gibson, Castle, and Keen, acting alone or in complicity with each other were allegedly in possession of approximately 22 grams of methamphetamine, $2,214 in cash money, three police scanner/radios and digital scales with the intent to traffic. Keen and Castle were in possession of 47 gabapentin capsules and Adderall, with the intent to traffic while within 1,000 yards of the Central Elementary School campus. Gibson, Castle and Keen are all previously convicted felons.

•Randy Richmond, 23, of Paintsville, is charged with first-degree sex abuse with a victim under 12-years-old.

On, from, or about April 4, 2022, Richmond allegedly subjected a minor under the age of 12-years-old to sexual contact.

•Michael Taylor, 56, of Paintsville is charged with first-degree sodomy.

On or before or from Sept. 1, 2021, Taylor allegedly engaged in deviate sexual intercourse with another person, a minor less that the age of 12-years-old.

•Angel Collins, 45, of Wyandotte, MI, is charged with knowingly exploit an adult greater than $300.

On or before Jan. 1, through a period ending April 6, Collins allegedly knowingly exploited an adult resulting in a total loss to her grandparents, of Meally, exceeding $300 in financial resources.

•Cody Spencer, 33, and Gabrielle Spencer, 32, both of Leander, are charged with intent defraud/scheme/artifice to obtain benefits greater than $10,000/complicity.

From a period beginning on Feb. 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019, Cody Spencer and Gabrielle Spencer, acting alone or in complicity with each other allegedly made a false statement or misrepresentation or failed to disclose a material fact to receive benefits under any assistance program, or with intent to defraud failed to report a change in the factors affecting the person’s eligibility for benefits resulting in the over payment namely SNAP and KTAP benefits in the amount of $17,303.

•Jerome Greathouse, 48, of Van Lear, is charged with intent defraud/scheme/artifice to obtain benefits greater than $10,000.

From a period beginning on Aug. 1, 2017 through July 31, 2021, Greathouse allegedly made a false statement or misrepresentation or failed to disclose a material fact to receive benefits under any assistance program, or with intent to defraud failed to report a change in the factors affecting the person’s eligibility for benefits resulting in the over payment namely SNAP benefits in the amount of $24,400.

(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.)