Court hands down prison sentences for drug offenses

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August 29, 2009

By HEATHER PYLES, CJ Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Sat Aug 29, 2009, 08:35 PM EDT

Numerous defendants, including many who had been arrested as part of several drug investigations carried out by law enforcement, appeared in Pulaski Circuit Court last week.

The defendants, all arrested on various drug charges including trafficking and manufacture of methamphetamine, appeared before Pulaski Circuit Judge David A. Tapp Thursday, including a Pulaski County couple arrested in early July after a “strong chemical odor” led officers to their residence.

Johnny Dewayne Brown, 36, of Bronston, and Theresa R. Brown, 38, of Bronston appeared in court Thursday and pleaded guilty to drug charges.

Johnny Dewayne Brown pleaded guilty to one count of manufacturing methamphetamine Thursday, according to Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney David L. Dalton. That charge stemmed from the July 12 incident in which deputies with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department discovered a meth lab at Brown’s residence on Antioch Church Road. The deputies reportedly found items used in the manufacture of meth, such as Lithium batteries, ammonia nitrate, starting fluid, liquid fire, salt, tubing, coffee filters, propane tanks, muratic acid and lye, and Brown allegedly told officers that he’d been manufacturing the illicit drug.

Johnny Dewayne Brown was on probation for flagrant non-support at the time of his arrest.

Dalton recommended a 24-year prison sentence. Tapp se final sentencing for Sept. 24.

Theresa R. Brown entered an Alford Plea to one count of solicitation to manufacture of meth. Theresa Brown allegedly stated she purchased the items used to manufacture meth at Wal-Mart for use by Johnny Brown.

Dalton recommended a 10-year prison sentence and Tapp set final sentencing for Sept. 24.

The following defendants also appeared before Tapp on Thursday:

• Brandon Keith Compton, 27, of Somerset pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. According to Dalton, a confidential informant with the sheriff’s department purchased oxycodone from Compton in April. Compton was reportedly on felony probation for a prior trafficking charge at the time of his arrest.

Dalton recommended a 20-year prison sentence and Tapp set final sentencing for Sept. 24.

• Ronnie Wayne Kennedy, 29, of Burnside pleaded guilty to one county of third-degree burglary and one county of manufacturing metham-phetamine. Kennedy allegedly broke into a Burnside building in April and he was also reportedly found to be manufacturing meth in July by the Lake Cumberland Area Drug task Force, according to Assistant Common-wealth’s Attorney Jeremy Bartley.

Bartley recommended a 10-year prison sentence and Tapp set final sentencing for Sept. 24.

• William R. Carrender, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of felony theft. Carrender allegedly took tools and equipment from a property on Ky. 1247 in Dec. 2008, according to Dalton.

Dalton recommended a five-year prison sentence and Tapp set final sentencing for Sept. 24.

• Larry Shane Keith, 28, of Somerset was sentenced to 10 years in prison for two counts of facilitation to manu-facture metham-phetamine. A Nov. 2008 investigation by sheriff’s department revealed that Keith and others were reportedly involved in manufacturing meth at a residence on Hacker Road, and Keith was also allegedly found to be involved in a separate meth lab on Normandy Court.

Tapp handed down a 10-year prison sentence.

• Eric G. Gosser, 24, of Somerset pleaded guilty to theft by unlawful taking and was sentenced to one year in prison after Gosser allegedly stole a cell phone from a woman in Feb.

• Edward L. Crabtree Jr., 30, of Somerset was sentenced to three years in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon after Crabtree, who’d previously been convicted of a felony, allegedly pawned a Mossberg .12 gauge shotgun in April 2008.

The following defendants were revoked off of conditional release, according to Commonwealth’s Attorney Eddy F. Montgomery:

• Charles Curtis Black, 30, of Somerset was sentenced to 20 years in prison after he allegedly violated the terms of his probation. Black was originally on probation for first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and persistent felony offender.

• Calvin R. Todd, 31, of Brodhead was sentenced to five years after he allegedly violated the terms of his probation. Todd was originally on probation for third-degree burglary, theft and criminal mischief.

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Pulaski carries Girdler to win

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, it was impossible to miss the colorful signs dotting nearly every Pulaski roadway. The names in the race for the 15th State Senatorial District seat popped out: A.C. Donahue. Chris Girdler. Mark Polston.

Once citizens hit the ballots, however, the results mirrored the dimensions of the signs themselves: Chris Girdler stood the tallest.

Girdler, deputy district director for Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, ran away with the votes inside Pulaski County’s borders, earning 3,926 votes for 62.05 percent of the total number cast.

That number more than doubled the next highest vote-getter, businessman Mark Polston, who raked in 1,624 votes for 25.67 percent.

However, Polston — who owns Classic Carpet, a home-flooring business located just off the southern 914 bypass — can claim a moral victory ... three of them, in fact. In all three counties in the district other than Pulaski — those being Adair, Casey, and Russell Counties — Polston actually edged out Girdler.

In Adair, Polston beat Girdler 629 to 394. In Casey County, it was 538 to 417, and in Russell, it was 1,862 to 1,038.

Polston said he just “couldn’t pull it out with the numbers” and that “the machine worked for” Girdler in Pulaski County.

“I think that was their strategy — I think they had a Pulaski County strategy all along,” said Polston. “They played the political game well.”

Polston said the difference between his and Girdler’s campaigns was that “mine was a very, very grass roots campaign,” he said. “I did not have a political machine behind me. I understand how this process works, and in this instance, he prevailed.”

As for why Girdler didn’t take three of four counties, the winning candidate — since there are no Democrats in the race, winning the Republican primary was effectively a final victory for Girdler — said he didn’t have an answer for that.

However, “I believe things happen for a reason and I hope the long and strenuous campaign will only heighten my desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past,” said Girdler.

“Regionalism is a goal of mine, and I look forward to helping all four counties,” he added, noting that he campaigned heavily in each of them.

Sen. Vernie McGaha, the long-time state senator whose seat the candidates were vying for, actually supported Polston after Liberty’s Todd Hoskins dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Donahue, a local attorney, got 556 votes in Pulaski County, 8.79 percent of the vote. He only received 145 votes in Russell County, 74 in Adair County, and 75 in Casey County, where hometown candidate Hoskins almost matched him with 71 votes despite no longer being officially in the race.

Polston said he’s “still digesting” what happened, and though “the process has been a very good experience for me,” he wouldn’t commit to running again in the future. “I wouldn’t shut the door to anything, but I’m not opening any doors either.”

Still, “I think I got a lot of people involved in the process that had not been involved before and would not have been otherwise,” he said. “A lot of people got out and worked really hard, got motivated to talk to friends and neighbors. I think a lot of people became involved through this campaign that are going to be involved for a long time.”

Girdler stressed his “positive message” and said that Rogers is a “mentor and good friend” that he would turn to for advice in dealing with a frequently combative legislative body in Frankfort, one for which Girdler hopes to help change the culture.

Girdler said that he was “confident and optimistic” during the day Tuesday because he’d “worked extremely hard.” Nevertheless, the realization that he’d won gave him “chill bumps,” he said.

“I’m absolutely honored,” said Girdler. “The position of state senator is more than an honor, more than an office. It’s a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

“I pledge to be the people’s state senator,” he added. “I look forward to working with everyone to move this region forward.”

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