Danville Man Found Guilty Of Drug Trafficking

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Carl Wayne Bartleson, Jr., 46, of Danville, Kentucky was convicted yesterday, in the U.S. District Court in Lexington, following a three-day jury trial.  Bartleson was convicted on all counts, including one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl and four counts of distribution of heroin and fentanyl.

On February 21, 2017, three people fatally overdosed in Boyle County, Kentucky, from the use of controlled substances, including the powerful opioid fentanyl.  Several others overdosed, but survived, all within a five-day period surrounding the fatalities.  The spike in overdoses led the Boyle County Sheriff’s Office to work with the Drug Enforcement Administration, to determine the source of the drugs.  The joint investigation led to the arrest and indictment of Bartleson, as a local supplier of heroin, fentanyl, and acrylfentanyl, a dangerous analogue of fentanyl that is even more potent.  Sentencing has been set for February 14, 2019, in Lexington, before Chief United States District Judge Karen K. Caldwell.  Bartleson faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.  The sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.

“The opioid epidemic is devastating our community and we remain committed to using every tool available to combat this blight,” said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky.  “We will continue to prosecute those who callously and indiscriminately peddle this poison and we commend the collaboration and commitment of our law enforcement partners.  Their work in this case lead to the conviction of a dangerous drug trafficker, and helped make our community safer.”

            U.S. Attorney Duncan; Darrell Christopher Evans, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville; and Derek Robbins, Boyle County Sheriff, jointly announced the conviction.  Assistant United States Attorneys Todd Bradbury and Francisco Villalobos prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.