LEXINGTON, Ky. - Carl Wayne Bartleson, Jr., 46, of Danville, Kentucky was sentenced today, by Chief U.S. District Judge Karen K. Caldwell, to 324 months in prison following his conviction in October 2018, following a jury trial in federal court. Bartleson was convicted of one count of conspiring to distribute heroin and fentanyl and four counts of distributing those same drugs. Chief Judge Caldwell imposed a 324-month sentence on each of the five counts, to run concurrently.
On Feb. 21, 2017, three people fatally overdosed in Boyle County, Kentucky from the use of controlled substances that included fentanyl, a potent Schedule II controlled substance. Several others overdosed, but survived with the aid of first responders, within a five-day period surrounding the fatalities. The spike in overdoses led the Boyle County Sheriff’s Office to combine forces with the Drug Enforcement Administration, to determine the source of the drugs. The joint investigation led to the arrest and indictment of Bartleson, as a local supplier of heroin, fentanyl and acrylfentanyl, a Schedule I controlled substance that is even more potent than fentanyl.
Bartleson will be required to serve at least 85% of the sentence imposed. Upon his release, he will be under supervision by the United States Probation Office for a period of six years.
“This is yet another example of the tragic impact that heroin, fentanyl, and other powerful opioids are having on our community," said Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “We have made the prosecution of overdoses a core priority in our Office’s effort to combat this epidemic. This case confirms that law enforcement partnerships are critical to enforcing the law and protecting our community. It should also remind those who choose to distribute this poison in our community that we are committed to this fight and they risk serious and long term consequences for their conduct."
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Darrell Christopher Evans, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville; and Derek Robbins, Boyle County Sheriff, jointly announced the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Todd Bradbury and Francisco Villalobos prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
