Published: July 23, 2008 08:35 am      

Four sentenced on federal meth charges

LEXINGTON — Four Berea men arrested in August 2007 on methamphetamine-related charges were sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court after entering guilty pleas earlier this year.

Charles Scott Sparks, 44, was sentenced to four years and two months in prison for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine and possession of firearms by a convicted felon.

Three others were sentenced after pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine.

Christopher Adams, 23, was sentenced to one year and eight months, while Ralph Carpenter, 28, drew a sentence of two years and 11 months. Billy Carpenter, 37, received a three-year, six-month sentence.

The sentences were announced jointly by acting U.S. Attorney James A. Zerhusen, Paul Vido, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Madison County Sheriff Nelson O’Donnell.

Under federal sentencing guidelines, the four must serve at least 85 percent of their sentences before being eligible for parole. Upon release, each will be supervised for four years by the U.S. Probation Office, Zerhusen said.

Between February and March of this year, Adams, the Carpenters and Sparks admitted that from Jan. 13 through Oct. 22, 2007, they were involved together in obtaining the ingredients and the manufacture of methamphetamine. Sparks also admitted to possession 10 firearms on two occasions after being convicted of felony drug trafficking, according to a release from Zerhusen’s office.

Evidence against the four was obtained from the records of pharmacies in Richmond and Lexington. On 40 separate occasions from April 2006 to November 2007, they purchased pills containing pseudoephedrine, the release said.

After a February 2007 fire at Billy Carpenter’s residence, “numerous items commonly utilized to manufacture methamphetamine were discovered,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Hydee Hawkins, who prosecuted the case.

Berea police, the Madison County Sheriff’s Department and the Central Kentucky Drug Task Force were joined by federal agents in the arrests and investigation.

“These sentences are an example of the successful partnership between local, state and federal law enforcement who investigate cases involving drug trafficking and the illegal possession of firearms,” Hawkins said. “It also illustrates the seriousness of manufacturing methamphetamine.”

Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@richmondregsiter.com or at 623-1669, Ext. 267.