Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Logan County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Illegal Possession of Firearms
Bowling Green, KY – A Logan County man was sentenced yesterday to 15 years in prison for drug trafficking and firearms crimes.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Maynard of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Director Jacky Hunt of the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) South-Central Kentucky Drug Task Force made the announcement.
According to court documents, on October 2, 2020, William Horsley, 36, of Russellville, Kentucky, possessed with the intent to distribute 59.43 grams of methamphetamine and 527.9 grams of a cutting agent. Horsley, a convicted felon, also possessed a Winchester, model 1200, 12-gauge shotgun, a Canik, Model TP-9SF Elite, nine-millimeter semiautomatic pistol, loaded with a 33 round extended magazine, and a Taurus International, model PT840, .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol. Horsley had previously been convicted of the following felonies. On July 25, 2014, in Daviess Circuit Court, he was convicted of possession of a controlled substance in the first degree. On February 21, 2018, in two separate cases in Daviess Circuit Court, he was convicted of two counts of trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree.
In addition to the 15-year prison sentence, Horsley is required to serve an additional 5 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
“I commend ATF Bowling Green and AHIDTA’s South-Central Kentucky Drug Task Force for their work in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Bennett. “The investigation and prosecution of the defendant typifies the collaboration taking place on a continual basis between our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners under the AHIDTA program. AHIDTA’s support and coordination of drug enforcement efforts are key to making Western District communities safer.”
“ATF is committed to protecting the public from armed drug traffickers like William Horsley whose actions place our community at risk and show contempt for law and order,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Maynard of the Louisville Field Division. “I want to extend my gratitude to ATF’s Bowling Green Office, AHIDTA’s South-Central Kentucky Drug Task Force, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their work on this case. This sentence is another great example of the collaborative work to hold drug traffickers accountable for the crime they engage in and the destruction they bring to our families and communities.”
“I want to commend the United States Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case,” said AHIDTA Director Jacky Hunt. “Horsley was a major distributor of methamphetamine and a convicted felon possessing firearms in the Logan County area. The AHIDTA South-Central Kentucky Drug Task Force works closely with the ATF and AUSA Yurchisin. As a result, we now have one less drug dealer on the streets in Logan County.”
The case was investigated by the ATF Bowling Green Field Office and the AHIDTA South-Central Kentucky Drug Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.