A Menifee County jury has found a local man guilty on multiple felony charges stemming from a narcotics investigation that led deputies to fentanyl, methamphetamine and a handgun.
According to the Office of Commonwealth's Attorney Ashton McKenzie for Kentucky's 21st Judicial Circuit, a Menifee County jury returned guilty verdicts on June 16 against Matthew Small on the following charges:
First-Degree Trafficking in a Controlled Substance (Fentanyl) – First Offense
First-Degree Trafficking in a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine, more than two grams)
Possession of a Handgun by a Convicted Felon
First-Degree Persistent Felony Offender
Jurors recommended a sentence requiring Small to serve 10 years before becoming eligible for parole.
The case stemmed from an investigation by the Menifee County Sheriff's Department. Authorities said deputies were attempting to locate Small after he was dispatched out of Mt. Sterling when Deputy Thomas Wilson and Deputy Troyal Cox stopped him.
Deputy Cox's K-9 partner, Unit 69, alerted deputies to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. Investigators later determined that Small was in possession of approximately 3.343 grams of methamphetamine and 5.580 grams of fentanyl, according to the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office.
Following the verdict, Commonwealth's Attorney Ashton McKenzie thanked the Menifee County jurors for their service and praised the Menifee County Sheriff's Department for its continued efforts to combat illegal drug trafficking in the community.
The case was prosecuted by the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney for Kentucky's 21st Judicial Circuit.