Fayette County Man Sentenced to 300 Months for Methamphetamine Trafficking and Illegal Firearms Possession

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Lawrence Westbrook III, 41, of Lexington, was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison on Friday, by Chief United States District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for offenses involving methamphetamine trafficking and illegal firearms possession.

Westbrook previously pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to his plea agreement, on June 23, 2018, Lexington Police made contact with Westbrook during a traffic stop in Lexington, where officers located approximately 159 grams of methamphetamine, as well as a loaded firearm he used to further his drug trafficking activity.  After being released from custody, by posting a state issued bond, Westbrook admitted to being arrested again in August, where he was found in possession of additional methamphetamine for sale.  Officers located approximately $11,000 in U.S. currency, on top of a stolen, loaded firearm used in furtherance of his drug trafficking.

Westbrook had prior felony convictions, having previously been convicted of Assault with a Firearm on a Person in 2001 and of being a Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm in 2015.

Under federal law, Westbrook must serve 85 percent of his sentence. Upon completion of his imprisonment, he will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for a period of five years.

Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Tommy Estevan, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Lawrence Weathers, Chief of Police, Lexington Police Department, jointly made the announcement.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The PSN program was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

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