Shelbyville man arrested for drug trafficking

[had_enuf]

Shelbyville man arrested for drug trafficking

By Gayle Deaton/Sentinel-News Staff Writer - Wednesday, March 14, 2007 9:55 AM EDT

A joint investigation by the Shelby County Sheriff's Office and Kentucky State Police Drug Enforcement West resulted in the arrest Friday of a Shelbyville man for trafficking in cocaine.

Jesus Hernandez, 34, is charged with trafficking in cocaine and having no operator's license, and is in custody at the Shelby County Detention Center under a $25,000 cash bond.

Sheriff Mike Armstrong said officers obtained a search warrant Friday for Hernandez's home located at the corner of Nora and Kentucky.

Inside Hernandez's home, Armstrong said investigators found drugs -- about a pound of marijuana and 20 grams of cocaine having a street value of about $5,000.

Additional charges are pending against Hernandez based on what investigators found inside the home, Armstrong said.

Hernandez told officers that although he owns the home at 104 Nora Ave., and is an employee of Roll Forming, Corp., he's an illegal immigrant.

"We've found no documentation to prove he's not an illegal," Armstrong said.

If Hernandez is illegal, Roll Forming's Plant Manager Tony Carriss said he must have provided a false Social Security number to the plant's human resources office, because it's against their policy to hire illegal immigrants.

Armstrong said investigators are working with the Commonwealth Attorney's Office in an effort to seize Hernandez's real and personal property, as allowed under state and federal drug forfeiture laws.

"It's time to let people know if they're going to come to Shelby County and traffic in drugs, then they're going to serve some time," Armstrong said."

Armstrong said his office is stepping up enforcement efforts and he's dedicated more resources and manpower to drug enforcement because of the increase the county has seen in drug crimes.

"We know about 85 percent of crime committed in Shelby County is related to drugs," said Sheriff's Detective Jason Rice. "That's why people rob banks, that's why people break into houses, that's why people forge checks. All of this other crime goes back to the drug trade."

Armstrong said it's frustrating to law enforcement agents when they see people convicted of drug trafficking probated or given amended sentences.

When investigators provide a strong case in a drug arrest and the prosecutor seeks a conviction on that case, Armstrong said he hopes the citizens who sit on the juries will make it clear that drug traffickers will serve time if they sell their drugs in Shelby County.

http://www.sentinelnews.com/articles/20 ... /news3.txt

[blueinky]

This is great!!
Do you have the link for this?

[had_enuf]

Ooooops! I added the link.