LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A federal prosecutor in Kentucky says a series of drug trafficking convictions is a sign of momentum for an initiative teaming federal and local authorities to combat the heroin and fentanyl scourge.
Kerry Harvey, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, on Tuesday credited law enforcement in Lexington and Woodford and Madison counties with helping prosecutors secure convictions a day earlier in three cases.
Harvey says the defendants are facing long prison sentences for their roles in drug pipelines that led to overdose deaths. He says those sentences could be a deterrent and sway some drug traffickers to assist law enforcement.
Jennifer Powell’s sister, Jolene Bowman, was an overdose victim in one of the cases. Powell says her sister was victimized by predators who sought to profit from her addiction.