Johnson County man enters guilty plea in federal court

By Roberta Cantrell
BSN Editor

ASHLAND- A Thelma man has entered a guilty plea to charges associated with armed drug trafficking in an Ashland federal court on Thursday, Nov. 5.

Brian “Butterbean” Charles, 43, was formally charged by a federal grand jury in London after a raid of his home on July 7, 2025, yielded 3 pounds of methamphetamine, 28 grams of fentanyl, nine weapons and more than $23,000 in cash.

He was later indicted for possession of meth and fentanyl with the intent to distribute and using a gun in a drug trafficking crime.

In his plea agreement, Charles admitted to buying the drugs out of state, with plans to redistribute them to other dealers in Johnson County, as he had done in the past.

Each of the charges carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, although he could receive a substantially shorter sentence. Charles is currently incarcerated at the Boyd County Detention Center and is scheduled to be back in court March 15 for sentencing.