Lawrence County Grand Jury Issues 23 Indictments
By Lilly Adkins
BSN Associate Editor
LOUISA — The Lawrence County Grand Jury issued 23 true bills on Nov. 9.
•Levi Castle, 36, of an unknown address, is charged with first-degree sexual abuse of a victim under 12-years-old.
On, from, or about Jan. 1, 2014 through December 15, 2018, Castle allegedly subjected a minor under the age of 12-years to sexual contact with said offenses occurring against a vulnerable victim in a continuing course of conduct by engaging the above-referenced acts two or more times between Jan. 1, 2014 and Dec. 15, 2018.
•Robert Chafin, 46, of Louisa, is charged with first-degree unlawful imprisonment; promoting human trafficking and first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, less than two grams.
On or about Aug. 10, Chafin allegedly unlawfully restrained Alexiya Schwan under circumstances which exposed her to a risk of serious physical injury; he intentionally and unlawfully recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides or obtains by any means or attempts to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide or obtain by any means, another person, knowing that person will be subjected to human trafficking and he was also in possession of methamphetamine with the intent to traffic.
•Jaime Alvard, 39, of Chesapeake, OH., is charged with first-degree bail jumping.
On Sept. 14, Alvard allegedly after having been released from custody by the court upon the condition that he would subsequently appear at a specified time and place in connection with a felony charge involving case 21-CR-00128, he failed to appear at that time and place as ordered by the court for sentencing.
•Derrick Smith, 32, of Inez, and Kearston Johnson, 18, of Louisa, are charged with theft by unlawful taking under $10,000/complicity.
Smith is additionally charged with first-degree persistent felony offender; first-degree fleeing or evading police in a motor vehicle and first-degree wanton endangerment.
On or before Oct. 10, Smith, acting alone or in complicity with Johnson allegedly took a four-wheeler owned by Derek Maynard.
Smith is a multiple, previously convicted felon; he disregarded signals and commands to stop give by Lawrence County Sheriff’s Deputy Tyler Laney while he was working in his official capacity with the intent to flee, avoid or elude his arrest and he knowingly engaged in con duct which created a substantial danger to Laney and Lawrence County Sheriff Chuck Jackson.
•Rachael Wellman, 38, of an unknown address, and Nathaniel Houston, 28, of Ashland, are charged with first-degree possession of a controlled substance/complicity and use/possession of drug paraphernalia/complicity.
On or before July 10, Wellman, acting alone or in complicity with Houston, allegedly was in possession of methamphetamine, an altered glass pipe and several syringes loaded with a liquid substance.
•Summer Zornes, 20, of Louisa, is charged with two counts of first-degree possession of a controlled substance.
On or before Oct. 13, Zornes was allegedly in possession of Heroin and Methamphetamine.
•Colton W. Nelson, 27, of Louisa, is charged with first-degree possession of a controlled substance and possession/use drug paraphernalia.
On or about Aug. 12, Nelson was allegedly in possession of fentanyl and two altered straws.
•Michael E. Pennington, 37, of Webbville, is charged in two indictments. In the first one he is charged with first-degree possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
On or before Aug. 11, Pennington, was allegedly in possession of methamphetamine and three syringes.
Pennington is charged in the second indictment with second-degree assault and first-degree persistent felony offender.
On or before July 14, Penington allegedly, intentionally caused physical injury to Randy York of Louisa by means of a dangerous instrument or deadly weapon and he is a multiple previously convicted felony offender.
•Bret m. Thomas, 33, of Louisa, is charged with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and first-degree persistent felony offender.
On or before Aug. 13, Thomas allegedly was in possession of 3.489 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to traffic that methamphetamine and he is a multiple previously convicted felon.
•Aubrey L. McCallon, 23, of Louisville, is charged with theft by unlawful taking over $1,000.
On or before Sept. 23, McCallon allegedly took a Samsung brand cell phone from Ralph Penn of Inez, while at Forbidden Arts Tattoos of Louisa, with an amount of the loss exceeding $1,000.
•Jason T. Pack, 39, of an unknown address, is charged with second-degree burglary.
On or before Aug. 8, Pack allegedly entered and remained in a dwelling house owned by Jimmy Castle, located on Jefferson Street in Louisa, with the intent therein to commit the crime of theft.
•Angela Mullins, 48, of Louisa, is charged with first-degree possession of a controlled substance and use/possession of drug paraphernalia.
On or before Aug. 29, Mullins was allegedly in possession of methamphetamine and a syringe.
•Tabitha White, 38, of Louisa, is charged with two counts of first-degree possession of a controlled substance and use/possession of drug paraphernalia.
On or before May 6, White was allegedly in possession of methamphetamine, heroin and two altered straws containing chemical residue.
•Julie Lewis, 43, of Louisa, is charged with first-degree possession of a controlled substance and use/possession of drug paraphernalia.
On nor before June 7, Lewis was allegedly in possession of methamphetamine and an altered glass pipe.
•Angela Ratliff, 39, of Louisa, is charged with first-degree possession of a controlled substance and use/possession of drug paraphernalia.
On or before Aug. 24, Ratliff was allegedly in possession of methamphetamine and an altered glass pipe.
•Jimmy Robbins, 40, of Louisa, is charged with tampering with physical evidence.
On or before Aug. 25, Robbins allegedly destroyed, removed, altered or concealed physical evidence that he believed would be used against him in an official proceeding.
•William Copley, 50, of Fort Gay, W.Va., is charged with first-degree bail jumping.
On July 13, Copley allegedly after having been released from custody by the court upon the condition that he would subsequently appear at a specified time and place in connection with a felony charge involving case 20-CR-00063, he failed to appear at that time and place as ordered by the court for sentencing.
•Jason D. Meadows, 40, of Louisa, Kerry L. Henderson, 38, of Inez, and Michael E. Pennington, 37, of Webbville, are charged with first-degree possession of a controlled substance/complicity.
On or before July 14, Meadows, Henderson and Pennington, allegedly acting alone, or in complicity with each other was in possession of approximately 9.57 grams of methamphetamine.
(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.)