A federal grand jury has indicted six people from Madisonville, Earlington and Greenville on drug distribution conspiracy charges involving more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and 500 grams of cocaine, with each facing a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison if convicted. The indictment names three Madisonville residents, two men from Earlington, and a 69-year-old man from Greenville.
According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, the defendants are Traviel Civils, 34, Brooke Poe, 44, and Robert Rice, 46, all of Madisonville; Teron Cox, 41, and Adam Pettus, 41, both of Earlington; and James Gunn, 69, of Greenville. The KY State Police
reshared a report on the case Thursday, noting the investigation was led by the DEA and the Madisonville Police Department.
The counts break down unevenly among the six. Beyond the core conspiracy charge, Pettus faces 10 additional distribution and possession counts, Civils faces seven more, Cox and Rice each face two additional counts, and Gunn faces one, according to the DOJ statement. Those numbers point to differing levels of alleged involvement within the same regional operation, though the DOJ's release does not detail what set the more heavily charged defendants apart.
Mandatory Minimums and No Parole
Anyone convicted on the federal conspiracy count faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years behind bars and a maximum of life imprisonment, the DOJ statement says, with no possibility of federal parole. Five of the six defendants have already made initial appearances before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Western District of Kentucky and remain in federal custody pending trial. Cox is the exception, still held in state custody as he awaits his federal appearance, per the same DOJ release.
The case involved a Homeland Security Task Force, with the DEA and the Madisonville Police Department leading the investigation. The DOJ notes the task force's involvement in the case.
Part of a Wider August Sweep
The Madisonville indictment was a federal case announced in August. It highlights cooperation between federal and local agencies in drug enforcement.
The case is part of ongoing drug enforcement efforts in the region.
According to U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Madisonville's median household income was $53,860 and its per capita income was $29,244 for 2020-2024.
Local Charges Moving in Parallel
Federal prosecutors are pursuing drug charges in the Madisonville area this month. The federal case highlights drug enforcement activity in Hopkins County.
The current case involves federal intervention in Madisonville-area narcotics enforcement. Several open questions remain in the current case, including whether additional co-conspirators could be named as the indictment moves forward and when Cox will be transferred from state to federal custody.
