A federal grand jury in Bowling Green has indicted a man from Tompkinsville, Kentucky, on charges related to methamphetamine distribution. The indictment was returned on March 12, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky announced the charges alongside Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division and Director Ron Lafferty of the Barren River Drug Task Force.
The indictment accuses Brandon Gearlds, aged 41, of distributing five grams or more of methamphetamine on October 23, 2023. Further charges include distributing 50 grams or more on two separate occasions: October 26, 2023, and April 24, 2024.
Gearlds appeared in court for the first time on March 18, 2025, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Western District of Kentucky. He was ordered to remain detained until his trial. If found guilty, Gearlds could face a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and potentially life imprisonment. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge based on guidelines and statutory factors.
Federal parole is not available.
The case is under investigation by the DEA's Paducah Post of Duty and the Barren River Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II from the Bowling Green Branch Office is leading the prosecution.
It is important to note that an indictment is only an allegation; defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
