LONDON, KY - Four Kentuckians who were part of a large prescription drug ring that distributed thousands of pills in Ashland, Ky., pleaded guilty to criminal charges.
Darnell Desman Butler, 27, Christina Mayhone, 25, and Charlie Nicole Angell, 25, all of Ashland, Ky., pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to distribute Oxycodone. Leonard Eugene Vaughn, 41, of Lexington, pleaded guilty to attempt to possess with intent to distribute Oxycodone.
According to court documents, Angell worked under the direction of 38-year-old Richard Allen Young of Florida. Young distributed pills or used other co-defendants such as Angell to sell pills in Boyd County. Angell acknowledged she was responsible for distributing 10,000 Oxycodone pills.
Angell also admitted she directed Mayhone and Butler to sell pills. In October of 2011, a confidential informant bought pills from Butler and Mayhone in Ashland. Butler admitted to distributing approximately 4,200 pills and Mayhone distributed approximately 500 pills in the Ashland area according to her plea agreement.
Vaughn arranged for the purchase of 1,300 Oxycodone pills for $16,000 from a confidential informant in Nicholasville, Ky. Vaughn drove Butler to Nicholasville to make the transaction but authorities arrested them shortly after they arrived.
Last week, Young and Hammond J. Coleman, 32, of Lexington pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges. Young previously admitted he possessed or distributed approximately 45,000 pills over the course of the conspiracy which started in November of 2008. He forfeited $250,000 in drug proceeds and four vehicles he purchased during the conspiracy.
Kerry B. Harvey, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky and Robert L. Corso, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, jointly announced the pleas today.
The investigation was conducted by DEA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron L. Walker represented the U.S. Attorney’s Office in this case.
Vaughn, Butler, and Mayhone will be sentenced in September. Angell will be sentenced in October. Vaughn and Butler face a maximum of 30 years in prison. Angell and Mayhone face a maximum of 20 years in prison. However, before the court imposes a sentence it must court must consider the U.S Sentencing Guidelines and the statute governing the imposition of sentences.
