In Pendleton County, a couple have been handed their fate for their roles in a drug trafficking operation. Robert Gullion, 31, and Catelyn Simpson-Barnett, 33, from DeMossville, Ky., received prison sentences of 204 months and 138 months respectively. Their sentencing comes after a period of law enforcement investigation that culminated in a traffic stop revealing a substantial quantity of drugs and a firearm.
During the stop, officers found two bags of fentanyl, a loaded syringe, and three bags containing a crystal substance that was later confirmed as methamphetamine, weighing 722.8 grams. Further discoveries included multiple safes, one containing 27 grams more of meth, as well as a handgun with an extended magazine, a variety of pills, drug paraphernalia, and just over five thousand dollars in cash, according to a statement obtained by the U.S. Department of Justice.
In their plea agreements, both parties admitted to conspiring to distribute the controlled substances, a criminal partnership that had been active for about two months. Gullion also claimed ownership of the firearm and conceded that the weapon was held in support of the narcotics operation.
As per the conditions set by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, both are to serve at least 85 percent of their prison sentences without provision for early parole. They will face five years of supervised release under U.S. Probation Office oversight. The case was announced jointly by Carlton S. Shier, IV, Acting Special Agent Erek Davodowich of DEA's Louisville Field Division, and Chief Brian Valenti of the Covington Police Department.
The DEA and Covington Police Department spearheaded the investigation that led to the couple's detention and subsequent sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
