Press Release
Lincoln County Man Convicted by Jury of Drug Trafficking and Firearm Offenses
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Kentucky
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A federal jury in Lexington has found William J. Hampton, of Lincoln County, Kentucky, guilty of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The jury convicted Hampton on Tuesday, February 27, 2018, following a 2-day trial in U.S. District Court.
According to trial testimony, officers stopped Hampton after observing him driving a vehicle with no taillights and a flat tire. Hampton falsely identified himself during the stop and attempted to flee, leading officers on an approximately 3-mile pursuit down U.S. highway 27 in Lincoln County, Kentucky. After apprehending Hampton, officers located approximately 120 grams of methamphetamine and a .40 caliber Smith and Wesson pistol in the front passenger area of the vehicle. Hampton is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for June 8, 2018, at the federal courthouse in Lexington. Hampton faces a minimum mandatory sentence of not less than 10 years nor more than life imprisonment on the drug offense. Because the jury also convicted Hampton of possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking crime, Hampton also faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years consecutive to any sentence imposed for the drug offense. The Court, however, will impose sentence after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal statutes.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Stuart Lowery, Special Agent in Charge, ATF; Chief Zachary Middleton, Stanford Police Department; and Sheriff Curt Folger, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, jointly announced the jury’s verdict.
ATF, Stanford Police Department, and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Tanner Bradley and Ron Walker represented the United States in the case. The case is part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, a Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime through partnerships between federal, state, and local law enforcement. The goal of the PSN Program is to use these partnerships to make communities safer.
Updated February 28, 2018
Topics
Firearms Offenses
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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