Federal Grand Jury Indicts Louisville Man and Woman for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine

Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky returned an indictment on December 6, 2022, charging a local man and woman with conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and distributing methamphetamine.

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Erika Shields of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.

According to court documents, between August 31, 2022, and November 3, 2022, Malik Abdullah, 22, and Kayla Scott, 21, conspired together to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in the Louisville area. Abdullah is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and eight counts of distribution of methamphetamine. Scott is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and seven counts of distribution of methamphetamine.

Scott made her initial court appearance yesterday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Abdullah was taken into state custody and will make his initial court appearance at later date. If convicted, they each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.

The ATF and Louisville Metro Police Department are investigating the case.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) Emily Lantz is prosecuting the case.

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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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