BOURBON COUNTY MAN
SENTENCED ON DRUG CHARGES

Billy Nowell was part of group cooking meth
the day Greenwood County Sheriff Matt Samuels was killed

WICHITA, KAN. – A Bourbon County man was sentenced Monday to 13 years in federal prison for his part in the drug conspiracy that led to the shooting death of Greenwood County Sheriff Matt Samuels on Jan. 19, 2005.

Billy G. Nowell, 37, Bronson, Kan., was sentenced during a hearing before U.S. District Judge Monti Belot.

Nowell pleaded guilty in August 2005 to one count of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In his plea, he admitted that on Jan. 19, 2005, he joined Scott Cheever, Matthew Denny, Darrell Cooper and Belinda Cooper in manufacturing methamphetamine at the Cooper residence at 2612 310th Street, Hilltop, Greenwood County, Kan. He admitted he saw that Cheever was armed and he talked to Cheever about the manner in which Cheever was brandishing the weapon. When a first batch of methamphetamine was completed, Nowell took the drug and left. Meanwhile, Cheever began a second batch.

At about 9 a.m., Rhonda O’Brien called the Cooper residence to warn that the Sheriff’s Department was on its way to the Cooper residence in search of Cheever. Belinda Cooper took the call, and passed on the warning to Cheever, who was working in a laboratory upstairs. At about 9:45 a.m. Greenwood County Sheriff Matt Samuels arrived, searched the first floor and was about to go upstairs when Cheever shot him twice, killing him.

Cheever is awaiting trial in Greenwood County District Court on the following charges: one count of capital murder; four counts of attempted capital murder; one count of manufacture of methamphetamine; one count of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine; and one count of criminal possession of a firearm.

Related cases include:

Belinda Cooper, who was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment to be followed by 3 years supervised release.
Darrell Cooper, who was sentenced to 46 months.
Rhonda O’Brien, who was sentenced in September to time served (approximately 19 months) and 3 years supervised release.
Matt Denny, who was convicted on drug charges in state district court and sentenced to 13.5 years.

Melgren commended the prosecutors, as well as the law enforcement agencies that assisted in the case, including the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, the Woodson County Sheriff’s Office, and other nearby law enforcement agencies.

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