2 arrested in ongoing McLean County conspiracy case

Freddie Bourne, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
·2 min read

Aug. 16—Two more individuals involved in an ongoing criminal conspiracy investigation in McLean County have been arrested.

Craig Avery, 32, of the 2200 block of Yewells Landing North in Owensboro, was arrested Aug. 4 for trafficking in a controlled substance in the first-degree — second offense — for two or more grams of methamphetamine.

Avery is housed at the Daviess County Detention Center in Owensboro.

Dannie Ball, 28, of the 4200 block of Scotty Lane in Owensboro, was arrested Aug. 13 for two counts of trafficking in a controlled substance in the first-degree — second offense — for two or more grams of methamphetamine, with one of the counts being for conspiracy.

Ball is currently in custody at the Muhlenberg County Detention Center in Greenville.

According to the McLean County Sheriff's Office, others involved in the case include Michael Chambers, 44, of Livermore, Wayman Henry, 33, of Calhoun, Matthew Abney, 40, of Livermore, James Rachal, 62, of Livermore, Nathan Humphrey, 37, of Hartford, Steven Strong, 54, of Livermore and Troy Edmonds, 45, of Cleaton.

Edmonds pled guilty to the amended charge of trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree for methamphetamine of two or more grams on July 11 and was sentenced to five years in prison, with credit of 25 days served in custody.

On Aug. 1, Henry and Abney entered guilty pleas, with Henry pleading guilty to the amended charge of possession of a controlled substance in the first degree for methamphetamine — second offense — and was sentenced to supervised three years probation.

A term of Henry's probation is to serve 150 days in the Muhlenberg County Detention Center, with credit for 53 days on Aug. 1 and to be released into long-term drug rehabilitation.

Abney pled guilty to the amended charge of trafficking in a controlled substance — first offense — for methamphetamine of two or more grams and will be sentenced on Aug. 22.

On Aug. 8, Chambers was found guilty of possession of a controlled substance in the first-degree for methamphetamine — third offense — which was amended from conspiracy trafficking in a controlled substance in the first-degree for over two grams.

Chambers is to be on supervised probation for a period of three years as opposed to a sentence of three years in the penitentiary.

A term of Chamber's probation includes serving 90 days in the Muhlenberg County Detention Center with credit for 55 days and to be released into long-term drug rehabilitation.

Arrest warrants have been executed by the MCSO with the assistance of the Pennyrile Narcotics Task Force (PNTF), Ohio County Sheriff's Office and the Owensboro Police Department.

A total of 11 arrest warrants have been obtained for the case, with two individuals still at large as of Monday.