Estill County Man Convicted of Methamphetamine Trafficking and Illegal Firearm Possession

LEXINGTON, Ky. - An Estill County man was convicted on Thursday, by a federal jury sitting in Lexington, of four counts of trafficking methamphetamine and a firearm offense.

Following a three day trial before United States District Judge Karen K. Caldwell, the jury convicted 56 year-old George Harrison on three counts of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. 

The evidence at trial established that Harrison sold methamphetamine to the Kentucky State Police, in a series of controlled purchases.  Specifically, Harrison sold over 50 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant, on three separate occasions, in September of 2018.  During a search of his premises, at the time of arrest, approximately 12 grams of methamphetamine and over $1,000.00 was found.  Harrison was arrested on September 18, 2019 and detained at the Fayette County Detention Center.  While incarcerated, Harrison communicated through recorded jail phone calls with his girlfriend about securing drugs, money, and a firearm that law enforcement did not recover during the search of his house. The Kentucky State Police secured another search warrant and recovered a 45 -caliber pistol, $16,546.00 and more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.  The jury found that the $16,546.00 was forfeitable to the United States, as drug proceeds.           

Harrison was indicted in August of 2019.           

Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Jerry C. Templet Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations; and Colonel Phillip “PJ” Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the jury’s verdict.

The investigation was conducted by DEA, ATF, DHS-HSI, and the Kentucky State Police. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily K. Greenfield

Harrison will appear for sentencing on August 6, 2021.  If the district court finds Harrison’s prior Kentucky conviction for complicity to commit murder conviction is a serious violent felony, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years to life imprisonment.  For the firearm offense, he faces up to ten years.  However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence.