A federal grand jury in Louisville has issued a superseding indictment against Tyler Cull, 25, of Louisville, for allegedly distributing fentanyl that resulted in a fatal overdose. The charges stem from incidents in Jefferson County and Hardin County on December 14, 2024. Cull had previously been indicted in April 2025 for possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl on March 26, 2025.
Cull was ordered detained by a U.S. Magistrate Judge on June 12, 2025, and remains in federal custody awaiting trial. If convicted of distribution resulting in death, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and up to life imprisonment. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge based on guidelines and statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner stated: “Today marks the first step in the formal process of holding Tyler Cull accountable for pushing poison into our Commonwealth, causing the death of a remarkable person. Our Office will aggressively pursue this prosecution to ensure justice for the victim’s family and to put all others in the Commonwealth on notice that you will face the weight of federal prosecution if your cavalier drug distribution kills one of our brothers or sisters.”
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman commented: “This federal indictment is what zealous collaboration looks like. Those Kentuckians who we have a duty to protect, and one particular grieving family in Hardin County, deserve no less.”
Federal sentences do not allow parole.
The case is being investigated by the DEA, Kentucky Office of the Attorney General, Lyndon Police Department, and Elizabethtown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua R. Porter and Frank Dahl III are prosecuting with support from paralegal Aaron Cooper.
Officials emphasize that an indictment is only an allegation and that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
