LC Bumps 35 Cases to Grand Jury During their October Meeting

By Roberta Cantrell
BSN Editor

The Lawrence County Grand Jury met on Thursday, Oct. 8, resulting in 35 cases moving up the court system for further judicial review.

•Tyler Burchett, 32, of Louisa, was charged with bail jumping 1st degree when on Sept. 24, he is accused of failing to appear in LC Circuit Court for a pre-trial hearing in connection with a felony case.

•Krystal Stone, 33, of Pikeville, was charged with receiving stole property under $1,000 (auto) when on May 27. she is accused of unlawfully being in possession of a 2005 Buick LaCross stolen from Jennifer Lawson of Prestonsburg valued at $765.

•Crystal Wheeler, 49, of Louisa, was named in three (3) separate indictments.

In the first indictment she was charged with trafficking in a controlled substance 1st degree 2nd offense/firearm enhancement, trafficking in a controlled substance 1st degree)/ firearm enhancement, trafficking in a controlled substance 1st degree/firearm enhancement, possession/use of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana. This indictment alleges that on April 29, Wheeler was unlawfully in possession of 49.178 grams of meth, .656 grams of cocaine, .595 grams of fentanyl, 48 grams of cutting agent (baking soda), marijuana, a large amount of plastic baggies, two digital scales (one containing chemical residue) two glass smoking pipes with the intent of trafficking all while in possession of a Diamondback Arms brand 9mm caliber handgun.

In the second indictment for Wheeler, she is charged with possession of a handgun by a convicted felon when on April 29, she is accused of being in possession of a Charter Arms brand .38 caliber handgun after previously been convicted of a felony offense in Lawrence County.

The third indictment for Wheeler charges her of trafficking in a controlled substance 1st degree/firearm enhancement, speeding 25 mph over limit, license to be in possession when on August 26 she is accused of being in possession of 165.579 grams of meth, $395 cash monies two digital scales with the intent of trafficking while in possession of a Davis Industries brand handgun.

•Preston Stafford Jr., 27, of Akron, OH, was charged with possession of controlled substance 1st degree (oxycodone), possession of controlled substance 3rd degree (Xanax) and possession of 10.30 grams of marijuana all stemming from an arrest on April 26.

•James Moore, 43, of Louisa, was charged with possession of controlled substance 1st degree and all-terrain vehicle violations when on July 23, he is accused of being in possession of methamphetamine and operating an ATV upon an Kentucky roadway.

•Christopher Price, 27, of Louisa (see story on front page).

•Brandon Fasnacht, 29, of Louisa, was charged with bail jumping 1st degree when on July 23, he is accused of failing to appear in LC Circuit Court for a pre-trial hearing in connection with a felony case.

•Robert Hammonds, 60, of Louisa, was charged with bail jumping 1st degree when on July 9, he is accused of failing to appear in LC Circuit Court for a pre-trial hearing in connection with a felony case.

•Christopher Sons, 46, of Blaine, was charged with bail jumping 1st degree when on July 23, he is accused of failing to appear in LC Circuit Court for a pre-trial hearing in connection with a felony case.

•Jacob Vanhoose, 29, of Paintsville, was charged with fleeing/evading police, speeding 26 mph over limit, reckless driving, operating motor vehicle on suspended license and no tail lamps all stemming from an arrest on May 10.

•James A. Hicks, 54, of Paintsville, was charged with trafficking in a controlled substance 1st degree (1.978 grams of meth), trafficking in a controlled substance 1st degree (4 dosage units of methadone), persistent felony offender 1st degree, possession of marijuana, $14,310 in cash and multiple types and sizes of baggies, disregarding stop sign, failure of owner to maintain req. insurance, improper reg. plate, improper display of reg. plates, prescription of controlled substance not in proper container all stemming from an arrest on July 16.

•Jason Hale, 46, of Paintsville, was charged with possession of a controlled substance 1st degree (fentanyl), possession/use of drug paraphernalia, criminal trespass 3rd degree, public intoxication (excludes alcohol), criminal littering all stemming from an arrest in Louisa on Aug. 1.

•Eugene Luther Cochran, age unavailable, was charged with fleeing/evading 1st degree (motor vehicle), persistent felony offender, driving DUI suspended license, careless driving, failure to surrender revoked operator’s license, possession/use drug paraphernalia (syringes) stemming from an arrest on June 6, 2025.

•William Ramey, 50, of Blaine, was charged with (3) counts of theft by unlawful taking over $10,000 but less than $1,000,000/farm equipment, persistent felony offender when on June 13, he is accused of unlawfully taking a 2023 John Deere 6155m model tractor valued at $155,000, a 2020 John Deere 5100m model valued at $105,000, a John Deere hay loader valued at $22,000, a 2019 John Deere 6135m model tractor valued at $90,000 and a New Holland brand hay cutter valued at $35,000 all belonging to Roland Gray.

•Tiffany Chafin, 31, of Louisa, was charged with possession of a controlled substance 1st degree (methamphetamine), operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drugs, use/possession of drug paraphernalia (syringe), failure of owner to maintain required insurance, no registration plates, rear license not illuminated all stemming from a June 4 arrest.

•Billy J. Godfrey, 45, of Hanover, WV, was charged with theft by unlawful taking over $1,000 (shoplifting). According to the indictment, Hanover was arrested Aug. 23, when he allegedly took $1,126.65 worth of Pokemon cards from Walmart of Louisa.

•Alice Spaulding, 46, of Fort Gay, WV, was charged with possession of a controlled substance 1st degree (methamphetamine), use/possession of drug paraphernalia (multiple lighters and operable torch, public intoxication) all stemming from an Aug. 11 arrest.

•Carol Linley, 57, of Louisa, was charged with (3) counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument 1st degree when on August 24 she was arrested for unlawfully possessing a counterfeit $10 bill and (2) counterfeit $5 bills with the intent to defraud Speedway of Louisa.

•Bobbie Clay, 27, of Fort Gay, WV, was charged with possession of a controlled substance 1st degree (methamphetamine), possession of a controlled substance 3rd degree (2) counts (gabapentin and alprazolam) and prescription of controlled substance not in proper container all stemming from an arrest on June 9.

•Crystal Cordle, 53, of Adams, was charged with possession of a controlled substance 1st degree (methamphetamine), failure to produce insurance card and inadequate silencer all stemming from an arrest on June 27.

•Carl Mills, 56, of Louisa, was charged with possession of a controlled substance 1st degree (methamphetamine), no registration plates, no/expires receipt, failure of owner to maintain required insurance, failure to register transfer of motor vehicle, not motorcycle operator’s license all stemming from an arrest on July 29.

•Artie G. Fernatt, 46, of Haywood, was charged in two separate indictments the first one he was charged with assault 2nd degree when on Aug. 14, he is accused of intentionally causing harm using a deadly weapon against James Dalton of Louisa. The second indictment is for assault 4th degree accusing Fernatt of causing physical injury to Dalton on Aug. 14.

•Joshua Fetherolf, 42, of Louisa, was charged in two separate indictments of bail jumping 1st degree.

•Heather McKinney, 37, of Columbus, OH, was charged in two separate indictments of bail jumping 1st degree.

•Carl Butcher, 54, of Paintsville, was charged in two separate indictments the first was for 1st degree bail jumping and the second indictment charges him with unlawful acts relating to acquiring metals when according to the indictment, on Aug. 6, he is accused of intentionally obtaining metal belonging to Foothills Communications with the total loss to the company of $6,008.16.

•Nathaniel Bayes, 19, of Louisa, was charged in two separate indictments both stemming from an arrest on Aug. 18. The first charges him of burglary 3rd degree when he is accused of entering the home of Summer Watts with the intent to commit a crime therein and the second indictment is for assault 4th degree stating he unlawfully caused physical injury to Watts.

•Adam Maynard, 46, of Pilgrim, was charged in two separate indictments both stemming from an arrest on Feb. 21, the first one charges him with possession of a controlled substance 1st degree (methamphetamine) and the second one charges him with possession of a controlled substance 1st degree (methamphetamine) and willfully set/throw or place any device to set fire when he is accused of maliciously setting fire on land owned by another person.

(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.)