Federal judge releases one suspect pending trial, keeps another in jail for now as part of investigation into Whitley County drugs

 A federal judge agreed Tuesday afternoon to release one man from custody, who was charged with drug trafficking in Whitley County, but the man’s brother is still being held in jail at least for now.

Following a Tuesday afternoon hearing, Judge Hanly Ingram agreed to release Charles F. Fritts Jr. from jail. His brother, Doyle Stanford "Stan-Boy" Fritts is still being held in federal custody pending completion of a report by federal probation and parole officers.

In addition to the standard conditions of release, such as remaining at home without the prior approval of his probation officer, refraining from possessing a firearm, consuming alcohol or unauthorized narcotics and not violating any federal state or local laws, Ingram placed two additional stipulations on Chales Fritts, one at the request of U.S. Attorneys and the other at the request of Fritt’s attorney, James Hibbard.

Fritts is permitted to leave his home to visit his mother, without asking permission from his parole officer. Hibbard noted Fritts’s mother lives within 100 feet of his trailing on the same plot of land.

At the request of Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Dodson, Fritts is required to notify his parole officer if he has any contact with his brother, Jerry Lee Fritts, whom law enforcement are searching for in connection with the case.

The pair were among six people accused of drug trafficking in an 18-page affidavit that was filed March 9 by Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent Todd Tremaine. The affidavit also implicates former Sheriff Lawrence Hodge in the purchase of drugs in Whitley County.

Charles Fritts’ daughter, Nikita Nichole Evans, made her initial appearance in court on March 9, but federal prosecutors didn’t ask that she be held in custody pending trial.

Evans and Doyle Fritts are charged with conspiring with others known and unknown to distribute a quantity of pills containing oxycodone. Charles Fritts is accused of conspiring with others known and unknown to distribute a quantity of pills containing hydrocodone.

Charles Fritts is also accused of distributing Oxycodone pills on Feb. 16, Feb. 18, Feb. 21 and Feb. 24.

Doyle Fritts is accused on Feb. 25 and March 4 of distributing Oxycodone.

On Feb. 15, Evans is accused of selling pills containing hydrocodone on two separate occasions.

The hydrocodone related charges carry a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, and up to a $500,000 fine. A prior felony drug conviction increases those penalties to 20 years in prison and up to a $1 million fine.

The oxycodone related charges carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison and up to a $1 million fine. A prior felony drug conviction increases those penalties to a maximum of 30 years in prison and up to a $2 million fine.

All three defendants made their initial appearance in federal court on March 9, and waived their rights to a preliminary hearing. This means federal officials have up to 30 days to get an indictment from a federal grand jury.

Authorities are still searching for Jerry Lee Fritts, who is wanted in connection with the investigation but hasn’t been arrested so far.

Two other individuals, James Meredith, 34, of London, and Jason Kersey, 25, of Williamsburg, are also mentioned in the affidavit as people, whom there is probable cause to believe are involved in the illegal distribution of prescription pills.

Kersey and Meredith were indicted in Whitley Circuit Court Monday morning for third-degree burglary in connection with a Feb. 25 incident.

Kentucky State Police Trooper Les Moses responded to 69 Airport Road after getting a complaint about scrap metal theft from a farm, and found a neighbor holding both suspects at gunpoint until police arrived, according to arrest citations.

"The pickup the subjects were driving was loaded with miscellaneous scrap metal. The two subjects had entered the outbuilding and removed contents from it as well as scrap from around the outbuilding," Moses wrote on an arrest citation.

Special Judge Roderick Messer ordered them held on a $5,000 cash bond during their arraignments Monday in Whitley Circuit Court.

Jail officials informed the judge that federal authorities have placed holders on both men.

A review of court records indicates that Doyle Standford Fritts has previously been convicted of several felonies, including receiving goods by fraud, theft by unlawful taking over $300, third-degree burglary in Whitley County, according to an indictment.

On Dec. 3, 2006, a Whitley Circuit Judge sentenced him to five years in prison for first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance in his most recent Whitley County felony case.

He was also convicted of first-degree possession of a controlled substance in Kenton Circuit Court in 1998, according to an indictment.