Louisville Man Federally Indicted on Fentanyl Distribution and Firearms

Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, returned a nine-count indictment on September 7, 2022, charging a local man with distributing fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement.

According to court documents, Trey Joshua Shoats, 29, of Louisville, conspired to distribute and distributed fentanyl in the Western District of Kentucky from at least July 5, 2022, to August 30, 2022. Specifically, he distributed fentanyl on July 5, July 27, August 2, and August 30, 2022. On each occasion, he possessed a firearm in furtherance of the drug transaction.

Shoats is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and distribution of 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl; four counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl; and four counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The defendant made his initial court appearance today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, he faces a combined mandatory minimum penalty of 30 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI is investigating the case. The Louisville Metro Police Department, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kentucky State Police assisted in the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Marie Blaylock is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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