A number of arrests Tuesday culminate a nearly two-month investigation into drug trafficking by residents of a local halfway house.
Eight men were indicted on charges of trafficking in methamphetamine and/or trafficking in synthetic drugs. Detectives seized more than one quarter pound of methamphetamine during the course of the investigation.
Paducah police drug detectives began an investigation in early April after receiving information about illegal drug sales by numerous residents and former residents of Keeton Corrections, 621 Clarence Gaines St. During their investigation, undercover officers bought drugs from eight different men, and identified a Paducah resident confined to the facility as the supplier of much of the methamphetamine purchased.
Det. Sgt. Shawn Craven said investigators traced the drugs they purchased from various men to Keeton resident DeAnthony Woods, and from Woods back to Ralph Gaines Jr. Gaines is the only man arrested Tuesday with no ties to the halfway house.
Craven said they arranged with Woods to buy methamphetamine, and he would supply the drug and have others in the halfway house deliver it and collect the money. Detectives believe that he kept drugs on his person at the facility, and brought drugs into the facility to sell. Craven said Ralph Gaines Jr. was Woods’ source “on the outside” for the drugs.
Woods is one of only two men arrested who still is serving a prison sentence at Keeton; all the others have been released to the halfway house on parole. Two of the men (Nicholas Stodghill and Christopher Baker) are former residents of the halfway house who now are living in Paducah.
Search warrants were served at Keeton Corrections and two residences where Gaines stays, on Glenwood Court and South 13th Street. Additionally, officers served search warrants on the men at the time of their arrests Tuesday morning and located a syringe, synthetic marijuana, methamphetamine and other contraband in their possession.
While searching the halfway house, officers located several knives and homemade shanks, numerous cell phones (contraband inside a correctional facility), synthetic marijuana, a digital scale, syringes and assorted drug paraphernalia. At the two residences, officers found a 9mm Ruger handgun, 34 grams of methamphetamine, more than $1,000 cash and several digital scales and other drug paraphernalia during those searches.
Arrested were:
Christopher Baker, 36, of Madisonville, KY, on indictment warrants charging him with two counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (methamphetamine – more than two grams); one count of first- degree trafficking in a controlled substance (methamphetamine – less than two grams); and one count of trafficking in marijuana, and on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of methamphetamine
Ray Critser, 45, of Marion, KY, on an indictment warrant charging him with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (methamphetamine – more than two grams) (Second offense) and on charges of possession of synthetic marijuana, trafficking in methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia
David Jones, 27, of Madisonville, on an indictment warrant charging him with trafficking in synthetic marijuana and four counts of with first- degree trafficking in a controlled substance (methamphetamine – more than two grams) NOTE: Jones previously failed a drug test at the halfway house and was jailed in McCracken County Regional Jail. He was served there with this warrant.
Zachary T. Edison, 28, of Russellville, KY, on an indictment warrant charging him with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (methamphetamine – more than two grams) NOTE – Edison previously absconded, and was jailed in Glasgow, KY. He was served there with this warrant.
Robert Fulkerson, 32, of Bowling Green, KY, on an indictment warrant charging him with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (methamphetamine – more than two grams) NOTE: Fulkerson previously failed a drug test at the halfway house and was jailed in McCracken County Regional Jail. He was served there with this warrant.
DeAnthony Woods, 32, of Paducah, on indictment warrants charging him with six counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (methamphetamine – more than two grams) and trafficking in synthetic marijuana. Additional charges for trafficking in methamphetamine are pending. (Woods’ home prior to his incarceration was located on Walter
Jetton Boulevard, several blocks from Keeton Corrections)
Ralph Gaines Jr., 31, South 13th Street on an indictment warrant charging him with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (methamphetamine – more than two grams). After the search warrants were served Tuesday morning at the Glenwood Court and South 13th Street residences, Gaines also was charged with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (methamphetamine – more than two grams) and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon NOTE: Gaines has an extensive history of drug trafficking and a prior conviction for third-
degree assault.
One other man, Nicholas Stodghill, 31, originally from Owensboro, KY, is charged in indictment warrants with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (methamphetamine – more than two grams); and first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (methamphetamine – less than two grams). He previously was released from the halfway house and police have not yet located him to arrest him. Anyone with information about Stodghill’s whereabouts is asked to call police.
Some of the men’s prior convictions:
Baker: Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, persistent felony offender, burglary
Stodghill: Driving under the influence, probation violation and drug offenses
Critser: Trafficking in drugs, forgery, theft and assault
Jones: First-degree sexual abuse
Edison: Trafficking in drugs
Fulkerson: Wanton endangerment, fleeing or evading police and assault
Woods: Trafficking in drugs and intimidating a witness
Additionally, Kentucky Probation and Parole officers charged the following men with technical violations of conditions of their parole, or inmates (as described above) were charged with possession of contraband after cell phones and other items were located during the search of Keeton’s facility.
Leon Cole – Inmate
Manis Young – Inmate
Jeffrey Sterner – Parolee
Winston Johnson – Parolee
Michael Harley – Inmate
Donny Hornsby – Parolee
William Kelly – Inmate
Michael Walling – Inmate
Dantay McCauley – Parolee
Lloyd Creech – Parolee
Demonte Long – Parolee
Shawn Lamb – Parolee
David Greer – Parolee
John Jones – Inmate
Johnny Howard – Inmate
Michael Harley – Inmate
Larry Husk – Inmate
Jeremy Tucker – Parolee
DeAnthony Woods – Inmate
Joshua Cattrell – Parolee
Ray Critser – Parolee
“The investigation into drug activity at Keeton Corrections is in response to numerous complaints of criminal activity and concerns from the surrounding neighborhood,” said Chief of Police Brian Laird. “A significant amount of time and resources has been devoted to this operation, in hopes of weeding out the bad apples in the facility and sending a message to any current and future halfway house residents that we will not tolerate individual bringing criminal activity into our community.”
Laird thanked new Keeton director Rob Estes for his cooperation today, and his efforts thus far to clean up the facility.
The Paducah Police Department was assisted in this investigation by Keeton Corrections administration, Kentucky Probation and Parole and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
UPDATE: Nicholas Stodghill, the final man indicted in Tuesday’s drug operation involving Keeton Corrections, was arrested by detectives about 3 p.m. May 29, 2019.
Press Release submitted by Paducah Police Department