Several sentenced in Laurel Circuit Court

Nita Johnson, The Sentinel Echo, London, Ky.
·4 min read

Jan. 31—The list of charges ranged from abuse of a child to possession and trafficking on cases set for sentencing in Laurel Circuit Court last week.

Among those were Melissa Nalley, 38, also known as Melissa Daley, of Cornn Cemetery Road in London. Nalley was among two other co-defendants charged with abuse of a child.

Nalley's charge was complicity to commit first-degree criminal abuse for not stopping another man from abusing a then 12-year-old child over nearly two years.

Nalley was sentenced to serve five years on the complicity charge. One man, Joseph Baughman, is charged with shooting the 12-year-old repeatedly and intentionally abusing the child from Aug. 2019 through June 2022.

—Willie Joe Napoleon Metcalf, 25, of Byble Road in London, will serve 15 years in prison for first-degree sodomy and first-degree sexual abuse of a child just a month away from its' 5th birthday. He received an eight-year sentence for the sodomy charge and seven years for the sexual abuse, but the sentences will run consecutively, or one after the other. He must also register as a lifetime sex offender.

The indictment states that Metcalf subjected the child to sexual abuse from Jan. 1 through Mar. 31, 2022.

—The burglary of a Laurel store in February last year now has David W. Landry, 40, of Patton Road in East Bernstadt, facing 3 1/2 years in jail. Landry was charged with third-degree burglary and receiving stolen property over $1,000 for allegedly entering a store and then possessing lottery tickets that had been stolen from that store.

—Shawn Michael Asher, 32, Hensley Road in East Bernstadt, was remanded back to jail to finish a three-year sentence for theft by unlawful taking over $1,000 for the July 26, 2022, theft of tools and 6 catalytic converters belonging to the state highway department.

—James Glenn Gregory, 41, of Cherokee Lane in London, was sentenced to 2 1/2 years for receiving stolen property and possession of methamphetamine in Sept. 5, 2022. Gregory is accused of stealing a 2006 Jeep Commander and having Fentanyl in his possession. Two charges — second-degree possession of controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia — were dismissed as part of the plea agreement reached before the sentencing date.

—Joseph Alan Baker, 31, of Maple Grove Road in London, was sentenced on two drug-related cases involving trafficking methamphetamine, marijuana, Alprazolam and Buprenorphine on May 25, 2022. He will serve 10 years on that charge, which will run concurrently with two other cases. A Mar. 13 case charges Baker with trafficking marijuana, trafficking cocaine and Buprenorphine and Alprazolm. The third case charges him with possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.

—Shawn Michael Abner, 32, of Walter Eversole Road in East Bernstadt, was sentenced to three years from a May 21 incident in which he allegedly stole a catalytic converter from a privately owned vehicle.

—Jacob D. Jimmerson, 24, of South Wind Street in London, will participate in a diversion program for five years as his sentence for first-degree criminal mischief. Jimmerson was indicted for damaging washers and dryers on July 14 last year, causing over $1,000 damage. However, he must pay restitution of $2,879.94 to the company owning the equipment and he cannot possess firearms/handguns or have any further violations.

—Ronnie Ray Vaughn, 30, of Mill Creek Road in Keavy, was sentenced to serve 12 months in jail but probated for 24 months for third-degree terroristic threatening. Charges of first-degree burglary and first-degree wanton endangerment were dismissed as part of the plea agreement. The incident occurred on April 30 with Vaughn charged with entering a residence armed with a hatchet and placing the resident in danger of serious injury.

—Michael Dewayne Jones, 45, of Love Road in London, was sentenced to three years for theft by unlawful taking over $1,000. However, that sentence was enhanced to 5 years due to Jones having 3 prior felony convictions.

—Michael Alan Felix Jr., 42, of Double T Lane in Corbin, will serve 12 years in prison for burglary and theft in September 2023. He will serve eight years enhanced to 12 years for entering a residence while possessing a firearm, and five years enhanced to 12 years for taking a 2000 Chevrolet Silverado that was stolen from the Laurel County Board of Education. The enhanced sentences come from Felix's three prior convictions in Whitley Circuit Court and one from Bell Circuit Court.

Felix will also serve a 10-year sentence enhanced to 12 years, which will run at the same time as the other sentence, for convicted felon in possession of a handgun.

—Deanna Nicole Collinsworth, 39, also known as Deanna N. Baker, of Spencer Branch in Big Creek, KY, will serve 12 months in jail for leaving the scene of an accident and three years probated three years for fleeing or evading police on Sept. 5. She was originally charged with four counts of first-degree wanton endangerment for endangering two passengers in her vehicle as well as nearly hitting a Kentucky State Police trooper and a constable during her flight from police. Those charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.