Corbin man now facing federal charge

Gary Williams, who was arrested on Oct. 26 for allegedly trafficking crystal meth, is now facing a charge in federal court.

A drug trafficking charge was dismissed in Whitley District Court Tuesday afternoon against a Corbin man to clear the way for a federal court prosecution, according to Williamsburg police.

On Oct. 26, officers from six law enforcement agencies seized 11 grams of suspected crystal methamphetamine, cash, and numerous firearms, including one federally prohibited assault weapon, while executing a search warrant at a Tattersall residence.

Williamsburg Police Chief Wayne Bird said that officers from Williamsburg, Corbin and a DEA task force out of London had been investigating Gary Williams for about eight months in regards to the illegal sale of crystal methamphetamine, which is also known as “ice.”

“We did some recent interviews with some cooperating sources, who provided us with some information so we decided to apply for a search warrant and we got one,” Bird said.

About 8 p.m. on Oct. 26, police executed a search warrant at a residence at 156 Trails End in the Tattersall community near Corbin.

“When we got there, he had the garage door partially open. He saw us coming up the driveway and ran through his house and out the back door,” Bird said.

Police had the house surrounded and Williams was taken into custody.

In addition to the crystal methamphetamine, police also seized a few hundred dollars in cash and about a dozen firearms, Bird said.

One of the firearms was federally prohibited because of the barrel length.

“It was originally sold as an assault pistol and it was converted to a shoulder fire weapon,” Bird explained.

Police also believe that a pin in the weapon had been altered allowing the gun to fire more than one round at a time, Bird said.

In addition, police seized three homemade suppressors or silencers, which were prohibited under federal law.
Williams, 37, was arrested on a charge of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance more than two grams of methamphetamine, and was lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center.

The investigation is continuing and federal charges are pending, the release stated.

Bird said that Monday that local charges would be dropped to clear the way for federal prosecution against Williams, which would carry a longer sentence than Williams was likely to receive in state court.

District court officials confirmed Tuesday that the charge against Williams was dismissed in district court in Corbin, and that federal officials had placed a holder on Williams.

Williams was released from the Whitley County Detention Center about 11:40 a.m. Tuesday.

Laurel County Detention Center records indicate Williams was booked into that facility about 1:26 p.m., and that he is being held as a federal prison held-in transit. The Laurel County Detention Center is certified to house federal inmates.

The DEA is listed as the arresting agency.

“I think it is more than fair to say that there are additional arrests coming,” Bird said about the investigation.
Kentucky State Police, Corbin Police Department, Whitley County Sheriff’s Department, London DEA and the London ATF assisted Williamsburg police at the scene.