LEXINGTON, KY (Thursday, November 30, 2023) — The U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Kentucky is reporting that an Auxier, Ky., man, Jonathan Martinez, 37, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Karen K. Caldwell, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to his plea agreement, from April 26, 2022 through May 5, 2022, Martinez distributed methamphetamine and possessed a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Specifically, law enforcement utilized a confidential informant to make a series of controlled drug purchases of methamphetamine from Martinez and his co-defendant, Lakeisha Jervis. On May 5, 2022, law enforcement conducted a search of Martinez’s home and found 264 grams of methamphetamine, bagged into ounce-and-a-half quantities, a digital scale, plastic bags, various other controlled substances, and a loaded firearm.
Under federal law, Martinez must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Phillip J. Burnett, Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police (KSP), jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and KSP. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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