Boyd grand jury issues indictments in drug trafficking, theft cases

Henry Culvyhouse, The Daily Independent, Ashland, Ky.
·2 min read

May 12—A Boyd County grand jury issued direct indictments last week in multiple drug trafficking cases and a few theft cases.

A direct indictment is when a grand jury hears the evidence from prosecutors and the investigating officer without the case first working its way through a lower court.

In most instances, a felony case will be charged in district court, and then the grand jury considers it — if the grand jury decides to indict, the case is canceled in district and moved to circuit court.

A direct indictment bypasses that process entirely.

A grand jury is a group of citizens who are called together to determine if prosecutors have probable cause to charge a felony. While at times the grand jury can charge misdemeanors, there has to be a felony involved in the case in order to move it up to circuit court.

The following people were indicted by the grand jury. Anyone named in an indictment should be presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law:

—Christopher S. Osborne, 51, of Ashland, was directly indicted on a sole count of first-offense meth trafficking.

—Christopher E. Minion, 27, of Ashland, was indicted earlier this year. Last week, the grand jury tacked on a possession of a handgun by a convicted felon charge to his existing case.

—Jimmie R. Morris, 37, of Ashland, was directly indicted on charges of first-offense meth trafficking, second or greater offense heroin trafficking, first-offense trafficking in less than 8 ounces of marijuana, first-offense trafficking in a third-degree substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.

—Kelly M. Dariano, 41, of Ashland, was directly indicted on one count of first-offense simple possession of meth and possession of drug paraphernalia.

—Heather Hutchinson, 38, of Ashland, was directly indicted on one count of first-offense meth trafficking and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

—Mary A. Sparks, 33, of Ironton, was directly indicted on one count of identity theft and one count of first-degree possession of a forged instrument.

—Jennifer Harte, 37, of Ashland, was directly indicted on two counts of first-offense trafficking in meth.

—Rossana M. Evans, 34, address unknown, was directly indicted on a sole count of second-degree burglary.

—Brian C. Gillum, 34, of Greenup, was directly indicted on a sole count of auto theft exceeding $500 in value.

—Blaine Culley Jones, 45, of Ashland, was indicted on a sole count of third-degree burglary.

—Bob Joe Litteral, 42, of Rush, was indicted on a sole count of auto theft exceeding $500 in value.

(606) 326-2653 — henry@dailyindependent.com