Lawrence County Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison In Federal Court

By Lilly Adkins

BSN Associate Editor

PIKEVILLE — Judgement of 120 months, was rendered April 20, for a Lawrence County man charged in Pikeville Federal Court with drug and gun charges.

Phillip Jude, 58, was sentenced to serve 60 months for possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, including 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, oxycodone and fentanyl and another 60 months for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense to run consecutively for a total of 120 months, or 10 years.

Jude entered a plea agreement in November 2022, in which he agreed to plead guilty to Count 9 and 10 of his indictment. As part of the plea agreement the court agreed to dismiss Counts one through eight and eleven of the indictment.

The plea agreement said that law enforcement used a confidential informant to conduct controlled purchases of oxycodone 30 milligram pills from Jude on or about Feb. 3, 2021, Feb. 25, 2021, March 4, 2021, March 11, 2021, Aug. 4, 2022, Aug. 18, 2022 and Aug. 30, 2022. Several of the controlled purchases occurred on or about Jude’s residence in Lawrence County, the plea agreement said and during the controlled transaction on Aug. 4, 2022, Jude also sold the informant methamphetamine and fentanyl. On Aug. 18, 2022, law enforcement used the informant to purchase a firearm from Jude, the plea said.

On or about September 7, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Jude’s residence, the plea agreement said and during the search they located approximately 80 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 80 oxycodone 30mg pills, and approximately 20 grams of fentanyl.

Law enforcement also found four pistols and shotgun, the plea agreement said and two of the pistols were loaded and were in close proximity to where the drugs were located.

The Defendant possessed these firearms to protect himself from the dangers associated with drug trafficking, including robbery of his drugs and drug proceeds, the plea agreement said.

Jude is currently lodged in the Pike County Detention Center awaiting transfer to the federal prison system.