LOUISVILLE, Ky. A grand jury has indicted four Louisville men on firearm and drug charges after police and federal agents conducted search warrants at several apartments in Newburg, the. They sayCastle played a major role in the drug ring including following Rodriguez'sorder to hireCaterto commit two murders. If convicted, the charges carry no less than a mandatory 10 years in federal prison. Meanwhile, at the lake, the teen girlskicked until they knocked the stereo deck out of the car trunk, and screamed into the darkness. He also had childrenages 3, 4 and 8 in the back seat without car seats or seat belts, according to the citation. [9], This code of silence persisted until Higdon published his book, The Cornbread Mafia, in 2012. The term "Cornbread Mafia" was first used in public by federal prosecutors in a June 1989 press conference, where they revealed that 70 men had been arrested for organizing a marijuana trafficking ring that stretched across 30 farms in 10 states stretching from the Southeast into the Midwest. At this point its bigger than Breonna, its bigger than just Black Lives, Ms. Taylors mother, Tamika Palmer, said over the summer of 2020 as she beseeched the authorities to bring criminal charges. But investigators saydrugs funded his lifestyle of luxury cars, Rolex watches, diamond and gold jewelry and thehomeinLa Grange that sits on about six acres,a few miles east of Crystal Lake and a Walmart Supercenter. If convicted, the charge carries no less than a mandatory 10 years in federal prison. But a judge had also signed a warrant allowing the police to search Ms. Taylors residence because the police said they believed that one of the men had used her apartment to receive packages. Following national demonstrations in 2020 over police brutality and systemic racism, Louisville officials banned the use of no-knock warrants, which allow the police to forcibly enter peoples homes to search them without warning, and fired several officers, including Mr. Hankison, who was found to have shown an extreme indifference to the value of human life.. But Rodriguez never responded to his defense attorney's calls or letters urging him to sign the plea documents. Members of this group profited from catalytic converter thefts, numerous burglaries and thefts across the county, he said, explaining the organized crime charge. 23, 2022 at 4:11 PM PDT PULASKI COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) - Pulaski County Sheriff Greg Speck says a 47-year-old man from Louisville was arrested on numerous drug. Agents claim Rodriguez spent years building his drug business andwas ready to kill to protect it, so he turned to Cater a felon known as "Tookie"whose past included accusations of bizarre and brazen violence. DEA agents, assisted by Louisville Metro Police detectives,had been building their case against the trio since late 2016. Keith Watkins, 28, of Owensboro, Kentucky, has been charged with Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. You have permission to edit this article. While the investigation does remain ongoing, this serves as a reminder that the diligent work of officers saves lives every day, the police department wrote on its social media page. Mayor Greg Fischer announced other changes to ensure more scrutiny, transparency and accountability, including the naming of a new police chief; a new requirement that body cameras always be worn during the execution of search warrants; and the establishment of a civilian review board for police disciplinary matters. Ms. Taylors family has long pleaded for justice, and her case began to draw national attention in May 2020. They didn't have that proof, sothey didn't object to Klein's motion to return the money. Troy Senn, 49, of Frankfort, engaging in organized crime, a Class B felony; receiving stolen property (less than $10,000); and two counts of first-degree persistent felony offender. Castlewas culpable in other ways, agents said. Because armed robbery and kidnapping in the first-degree weren't classified as violent crimes under state law in the 1990s, Cater was out in sevenyears. Devon Harris, 22, of Owensboro, Kentucky, has been charged with Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. Lead prosecutor Joe Gutmann didn't see it that way. The allegations involve large quantities of illegal drugs bound for the Western District of Kentucky, said Acting U.S. Attorney Bennett. All rights reserved. Drug overdoses:Fatal OD leads to a Louisville bartender facing federal charges. After the police broke the door off its hinges, Mr. Walker fired his gun once, striking Sgt. That included hiring and paying Cater for the murders, agents said. D.C. official: Here's how Mexican cartels funnel drugs in, Grandpa says he sold meth to save son from cartel, Middletown man wanted in deadly fentanyl overdose case has vanished, Fatal OD leads to a Louisville bartender facing federal charges, Patients died, families lived in fear of doctor charged as drug dealer, Kentucky baby proves that forcing people into drug treatment can work, Fentanyl is now the deadliest drug in Louisville, Kentucky and the US, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy, Former youth football coach now charged as drug ring hitman, Feds want to send former volunteer coach and two others to death row, Accused hitman served time in prison for infamous night of terror for four teens. Invalid password or account does not exist. LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Authorities say they've broken up a major drug trafficking ring in Louisville. James Harrod, 38, of Frankfort, engaging in organized crime, a Class B felony, and receiving stolen property (less than $10,000), a Class D felony. Two men wouldgo to the front, two to the side, others to the back of the house, with the lookoutscanning the perimeter from the getaway car. See also:Kentucky baby proves that forcing people into drug treatment can work. Low near 45F. Shortly after midnight on March 13, Louisville police officers executing a search warrant used a battering ram to enter the apartment of Ms. Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency room technician. The culprits robbed the teensthen ordered the girls, ages 16 and 19, into the trunk of the oldest girl'sblue Monte Carlo. For, Louisville man walked up to officers with stab wound, 'Pursue vetting candidates thoroughly': Kentucky bill would strengthen disclosure requirements, A brief break in showers and storms today, Strong thunderstorms possible Wednesday, again later this week; What to know, 'Scum of the earth': Drug victims face Purdue Pharma owners, 6-day-a-week delivery by law part of Postal Service bill Congress just passed, Authorities seize nearly $3M worth of meth in onion shipment. They also say that Mr. Walker was licensed to carry a gun. Frankly, probably, we started with reading Wikipedia like anyone else"[35], A series of unsolved murders in Bardstown, Kentucky have been incorrectly attributed to the Cornbread Mafia. Reporter Beth Warren: bwarren@courier-journal.com; 502-582-7164; Twitter @BethWarrenCJ. But they couldn't find the dealer, so the crewdrove around searching for random targets. While executing search warrants at several locations in Bald Knob, investigators reportedly recovered stolen property including a Jeep that was reported stolen from a Lewis Ferry residence, numerous pistols and rifles, an ATV, chainsaws and liquor. It's a tale of three men who evaded police for years, how investigators say they came together to commit a chilling murderand how prosecutors unraveled the case. Emergency workersin a Jefferson Countyambulance spotted the Impala andfollowed it from the West End towarddowntown, broadcasting every turn to guidepolice. Louisville police seized a stash of fentanyl large enough to kill over 4 million people. The. "Next thing I know, Charles pulls out a black handgun and starts shooting," Sensley told police. (Facebook: LMPD) By Shellie Sylvestri Published: May. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - A gang of drug dealers accused of selling meth, fentanyl, and cocaine has been busted by FBI and Louisville Metro Police investigators. "They had the doors kicked in so, I assumed something real bad went on over there," said Nash. He says deputies were called to a home on Grundy Road outside of Somerset. After his arrest, he spilled secrets to police about the inner workings of the ring and his own list of misdeeds, agents say. Shortly after midnight on March 13, Louisville police officers executing a search warrant used a battering ram to enter the apartment of Ms. Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency room technician. [37], In June 2018, singer/songwriter Tyler Childers held a benefit concert for Johnny Boone at Gravely Brewery in Louisville, telling an interviewer from the Louisville Eccentric Observer: "I read the book [Cornbread Mafia] that Jim Higdon came out with, and I got some friends from over my way that were friends with Johnny people that I hold in high regard, and people that hold him in high regard. No drugs were found in Ms. Taylors apartment, a lawyer for Mr. Walker said. Several of the officers involved in the raid Mr. Hankison, Detective Myles Cosgrove, and Detective Joshua Jaynes were fired. Ms. Taylors family has disputed the polices claim that the raid had to be conducted in the middle of the night. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The next time Cater allegedly fired a gun at someone, prosecutors contend he wasn't seeking revenge; instead, they say, he snuffed out a life formoney, evolving into a professional hired gun. OWENSBORO, Ky. (WFIE) - A big drug bust in Daviess County occurred Wednesday. LOUISVILLE, Ky. One suspect remains at large following a federal drug bust linked to alleged gang activity in Louisville, and which led to several arrests. [25], Boone was sentenced to serve his time at FCI Elkton, a low security federal prison in Ohio. Seven indicted on organized crime, drug, theft charges. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph.. And many detailsof the investigation remain hidden from public view. Contrary to the life sentences he was facing, Boone was sentenced to fifty-seven months by Chief District Court Judge, Charles Simpson, III, the same judge who sentenced the Bickett brothers, Jimmy and Joe Keith, in 1990. In December 2022, a lawyer for Ms. Taylors boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, said that the city of Louisville had agreed to pay $2 million to settle lawsuits brought by Mr. Walker. Copyright 2011 WAVE News. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. Western District of Kentucky Thedrug ring withties to a Mexican cartel capitalizedon the region's crippling addiction crisis and plotted the deaths of peoplewho threatened its lucrative business, federal agents claimin acriminal complaint. He is accused of accepting $30,000 to kill two people. The passenger ran behind the apartment buildingbut was quickly cornered by police. But he crashed in the parking lotand never got out. In January 2018, a shootout, a murder and an allegedplanned revenge killing forced agents' hands. Drugs, gangs and gunfire:Elite LMPD unit pursues the city's worst. 8.5 kilograms of fentanyl were seized, and 2 mg is considered fatal. But, was surprised to see authorities all over the place at this house just last week. They headed to a southern Jefferson County lake and settled on four teens, two boys and two girls who'd been hanging out atMcNeely Lake off Cooper Chapel Road. The DEA said that just one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. Themen were accused of past crimes including kidnapping,a road-rage shooting and the attempted killing of a pregnant woman but often eluded police. He was brought to the United States in April 2017. Locally heavy rainfall possible. James Antonio Smith, 37, of Owensboro, Kentucky, has been charged with Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. Greenecranked up thesong on the radio, leaned back and shut his eyes. LOUISVILLE, Ky. More than 4,200 pounds of marijuana headed to a Nelson County community was confiscated by a drug task force working with state and federal partners. In 2016, when a Louisville Metro Animal Services officercited Rodriguezfor not having a license for two large black dogs, Lupe and Rocky, he stayed away from the courthouse and sent Klein to make his legal problemsgo away. He was still on parole when police sayanother random stranger ended up in his crosshairs. Tucked away in a private wooded area of Oldham County, Javier Humberto Navarro Rodriguez, the accuseddrug lord,and his family settled into a two-story$550,000 tan brick home with four bedrooms and more than 5,200 square feet. But the charges were dismissed in 2012 after the victim moved to the West Coast. Investigators combed the properties insearch ofevidence. Overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl rose 55.6% in 2021. Vicente Rodriguez Ramirez,struckby several bullets, stomped on the gas pedal and sped toward a Valero gas station in southern Jefferson County to findhelp. PULASKI COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) - Pulaski County Sheriff Greg Speck says a 47-year-old man from Louisville was arrested on numerous drug charges Monday. He argued that Cater didn't have a gun, never planned to harm anyoneand was "a calming influence" who assuredthe victims they wouldn't get hurt. Louisville police and the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested the trio last February before anyone else was shot. When confronted with the evidence, Rodriguez, the alleged drug lord,admitted to being "a kilogram quantity narcotics trafficker with multiple sources of supply, both in California and Mexico.". One of the four, Kelly Goodlett, a detective who retired after getting charged, pleaded guilty at a hearing on Aug. 23. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- Louisville Metro Narcotics Agents made a major drug bust involving six suspects and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of narcotics. Violent crime is a well-known byproduct of the illicit drug trade. Investigators say Rodriguezconsidered having that man killed, too. Investigators say they tracked cellphonesusedby Rodriguez, the accused drug lord, and Castle, the suspected right-hand man,at the time of the shooting to within one block of the scenein Newburg. But they then proceeded to spray gunfire into the residence with a total disregard for the value of human life, according to a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Ms. Taylors mother. The investigation is being led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (Evansville Indiana Resident Office, Albuquerque District Office, Phoenix Field Division, Orange County District County Office, Oklahoma City, Flagstaff Resident Office, Paducah POD, Springfield, Missouri, and SOD); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Bowling Green, Kentucky; HSI Oklahoma City; Owensboro Kentucky Police Department, Daviess County Sheriffs Office; Criminal Interdiction Team of Central Oklahoma; Oklahoma County Sheriffs Office; Oklahoma City Police Department; Arizona Highway Patrol; and the Daviess County Commonwealths Attorneys Office. Family of Breonna Taylor, via Agence France-Presse Getty Images, Justice Department charged four current and former police officers, agreed to pay $12 million to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit, fired several officers, including Mr. Hankison, according to The Louisville Courier Journal, they knocked several times and identified themselves as police officers with a warrant, forced entry into the exterior door and were immediately met with gunfire., he feared for his life and fired in self-defense. The attorney told the judge in mid-February: "I'm out. Their products are sold nation-wide and on their website, Bickett and Boone.com. Richard Cason, 29, of Owensboro, Kentucky, has been charged with Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. ", Cartelsin Louisville:D.C. official: Here's how Mexican cartels funnel drugs inDeal drugs or die:Grandpa says he sold meth to save son from cartel. An official website of the United States government. On Feb.23, teams of heavily armed agents and local police were ready to swarm the southern Jefferson County stash houses,the accused hit man's house in Okolona andthe alleged drug lord's home in Oldham County. In June 2008, police discovered Boone growing 2,421 marijuana seedlings on his farm outside Springfield, Kentucky in Washington County, but Boone escaped arrest, under threat of a life sentence without parole because the bust would be his third federal conviction under the Three Strikes Law. Ryan Thruston, 33, of Owensboro, Kentucky, has been charged with Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. Official websites use .gov Mr. White has also been charged with Distribution of Methamphetamine for events occurring on or about October 1, 2019. Shousesaid Cater, who livedin a small brickhouse east of Jefferson Mall in Okolona, worked in maintenance at an area Ford plant to provide for his wife and children before his arrest. [5] and the groups ultimate downfall in the late 1980s. And theypondered killing a third. "Cornbread Mafia author launches new venture: Cornbread Hemp", Cornbread Hemp is First CBD Company in Kentucky to Achieve USDA Organic Certification, Solving Problems In Creative Ways: Jim Higdon, Co-Founder Of Cornbread Hemp, New Product Spotlight: Organic Hemp Extract Oils, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cornbread_Mafia&oldid=1140889051, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 07:46. The gang "was identified as being one of Louisville's most violent," said Robert Brown, special agent in charge of the FBI Louisville Field Division. The 27-year-old with largeneck tattoosclaimedhe made a living hangingdrywall, including work at Churchill Downs. 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