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Date: 07-24-2017
Case Style:
United States of America v. Robert Shields and Wesley Hamm
Federal Courthouses - Eastern District of Kentucky
Case Number: 5:16-cr-00085-DCR-REW
Judge: DCR
Court: United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky (Fayette County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: Todd Bradbury
Defendant's Attorney: Pat Nash for Robert Lee Shilds
Jeffrey Darling for Wesley Scott Hamm
Jarrod Beck for Jennifer Machele Hamm
Description: Lexington, KY - Jury Convicts Two of Federal Charges Relating To The Distribution Of Drugs That Resulted In Overdoses
A federal jury convicted Robert Shields, of Cincinnati, and Wesley Hamm, of Mount Sterling, Ky., on July 13, 2017 of one count of conspiracy to distribute carfentanil, fentanyl, and heroin; one count of distribution of carfentanil resulting in death; and one count of distribution of carfentanil resulting in serious bodily injury. The charges involved a cluster of drug overdoses, within a 12-hour period, in Montgomery County, in August of 2016. The jury returned its verdict after an hour and twenty minutes of deliberation, following four days of trial.
“These defendants were illegally distributing extremely dangerous drugs; and all too predictably, that resulted in overdoses and an unnecessary death,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Carfentanil is designed for large mammals – not humans – and presents a grave danger to the public. These defendants brazenly risked the lives of the people in Montgomery County and our office remains committed to using the severe penalties available to punish drug trafficking resulting in overdoses under federal law. The great work of our local and federal law enforcement partners made this case possible and helps make our Overdose Prosecution Initiative such a success.”
Both men face a minimum of twenty years and a maximum of life imprisonment.
The investigation was conducted by DEA, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mount Sterling Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Bradbury prosecuted the case on behalf of the federal government.
Outcome: Guilty
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
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