All Henderson, Kentucky Men Charged Plead Guilty in Large Crack Cocaine Distribution Ring
– Drug pipeline stretched from Atlanta, Georgia to Henderson, Kentucky
– Cocaine estimated street value nearly $1,000,000
OWENSBORO, KY – The final defendant charged in a large crack cocaine distribution ring has pled guilty in United States District Court to charges of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine announced David J. Hale, United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky.
Mikeal Luckett of Henderson, Kentucky was among13 arrested March 17, 2011 during an early morning drug sweep of the Henderson, Kentucky community by multiple law enforcement agencies. Luckett pled guilty before Chief Judge Joseph H. McKinley, Jr. on May 18, 2012.
The arrests were the culmination of a nearly two year-long cooperative investigation by the Henderson Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Owensboro Police Department, and other assisting agencies.
This multi-agency sting known as Operation Lucky Strike, revealed an active conspiracy in the Henderson community to smuggle at least, if not more than 30 Kilograms of powder cocaine as well as crack cocaine with an estimated street value of nearly $1,000.000. from the Atlanta, Georgia area, with the distribution of these drugs in Henderson and Owensboro, Kentucky.
Ten defendants were named in the federal grand jury Indictment including Luckett, along with Richard Green, Jim Joseph, Gerald Thomas, Jonathan Lemons, Josh Sherretz, Billy Sutton, Kahine Walker, Dexter McClure, and Jermaine Price. The remaining defendants were arrested on state charges including trafficking and possession of a controlled substance. Six defendants named in the federal indictment were sentenced by Chief Judge McKinley in U.S. District court including: Dexter McClure to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; Gerald Thomas to 37 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release; Jim Joseph to 65 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release; Richard Green to 70 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release; Jermaine Price to 33 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; and Kahine Walker to 46 months in prison. The remaining defendants are scheduled to be sentenced later this summer by Chief Judge McKinley in United States District Court located in Owensboro, Kentucky.
This investigation was begun in early 2009 when the Henderson Police Department received complaints from neighbors in a Henderson Community alleging a high volume of drug traffic and criminal activities in their neighborhood; both drug related and non drug related.
The Henderson Police Department began an investigation into persons alleged to be involved in these activities and contacted investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration for assistance with the investigation. The investigation revealed a large number of persons involved in a criminal conspiracy stretching from the Atlanta Metro area to Henderson and Owensboro, KY.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Scott Davis, the Daviess County Commonwealth’s Attorney, Bruce Kuegal, and William I. Markwell, the Henderson Co. Commonwealth’s Attorney.
