PIKEVILLE, KY – A Floyd County man has reached a plea deal in his federal drug and gun case. Justin K. Bryant, 35, of Martin, is accused of possessing meth and fentanyl with intent to distribute and using a gun during drug crimes. On Friday, his attorney filed a motion for Bryant to plead guilty to two counts, which would drop the other charges. If accepted, Bryant faces 15 to nearly 19 years in prison. A hearing for his plea change is set for Tuesday in Ashland federal court.

 

FLOYD COUNTY, KY – A Wayland man has been sentenced in Floyd Circuit Court after pleading guilty to two felony assault charges. Jason Martin, 49, admitted to attacking two people with a spade during a July 2024 incident. Judge Johnny Ray Harris sentenced him to five years on each count, with the terms running at the same time, but added to his current five-year burglary sentence. Martin must serve at least 85 percent before parole and cannot contact the victims. He appeared for sentencing via teleconference.

 

RACELAND. KY – Two men linked to an organized crime ring in Greenup County have been arrested after a year-long investigation. Ray Burks Jr., 68, of Wurtland, and Asa Mayse, 54, of South Shore, were taken into custody in Wurtland and are now held at the Greenup County Detention Center. Burks Jr. faces 10 charges, including engaging in organized crime and meth possession; Mayse is charged with engaging in organized crime. Police say more arrests may follow.

 

LONDON KY – An Eastern Kentucky coal operator, John Thomas Quintrell, pleaded guilty to six federal counts of willful failure to collect or pay more than $22 million in federal income and FICA taxes. Between October 2019 and March 2025, Quintrell, managing Civil LLC and other mining businesses, withheld taxes from employees but used the money for personal expenses instead of paying the IRS. Each count carries up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. His sentencing date has not yet been set.