Three people arrested last year as part of a meth trafficking investigation by the Madisonville-Hopkins County Vice/Narcotics Unit, the Christian County Sheriff’s Office and Kentucky State Police have entered guilty pleas in U.S. Federal Court in Paducah.
29-year-old Zachary White of Cadiz, 38-year-old William Cook of Crofton, and 38-year-old Jamie Oakley of Madisonville were each indicted in July of 2021 following incidents several months prior that led to their arrests.
Cook was indicted on two counts of felon in possession of a firearm and single counts of possession with the intent to distribute meth and possession of a firearm in the furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
White was indicted for possession with the intent to distribute meth and all three saw an indictment returned against them for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute meth.
White was arrested in January 2021 following a vehicle pursuit in Christian County. Sheriff’s deputies reported finding around a pound of meth, 100 rounds of ammunition, and a stolen AK-47 from Todd County in the vehicle.
Cook was arrested in Madisonville on the same day by Madisonville Police. They reported finding found four pounds of suspected meth, a 9mm handgun, and a large amount of money in his SUV.
Oakley was arrested around a month later after police executed a search warrant at her Madisonville home. Police say they found over two grams of meth, cash, and drug paraphernalia.
The government recommended a prison term of 24 to 30 years for Cook; 15 to 19 years for White; and 14 to 17 years for Oakley.
Their sentencing will be held at a later date in U.S. Federal Court in Paducah.
