Police: Circuit Clerk’s son had stolen IDs

The son of Whitley County’s Circuit Clerk was arrested early Sunday for trafficking in stolen identities and investigators say they are still trying to determine how he obtained them.
Brett S. Barton, 20, of Williamsburg was taken into custody following a traffic stop on Cumberland Falls Hwy. at around 3:00 a.m. Sunday. Barton was the passenger in a vehicle driven by Ryan Brodecker, 24, of Williamsburg, who was also arrested and charged with third-offense DUI, careless driving and driving on a DUI suspended license.
According to an arrest citation, Corbin Police officer Jim Miller observed Brodecker driving in the middle of the road for approximately 100 feet before pulling him over in the Waffle House parking lot, just past the I-75 on ramp. Brodecker failed numerous field sobriety tests, and later registered a .156 blood-alcohol content on a breathalyzer machine – well over the legal limit of .08. He allegedly told police he had been drinking bourbon at a party earlier.
Barton was initially only arrested for alcohol intoxication, but a search of the vehicle led to the more serious identity trafficking charge. Police found eight Kentucky driver’s licenses in the passenger floor board behind the seat, then discovered 11 more in a DVD case. Two additional drivers licenses were discovered in the center console of the car.
Miller said the licenses were mostly from Whitley County. Barton allegedly told police he “knew some, but not all of the people on the IDs.” It was all he’d tell police before refusing to answer any more questions.
Miller said some of the licenses appeared to be new, others were older and more worn. He said authorities are currently focusing their investigation on whether the licenses were used in any fraudulent manner. Investigators are not yet sure how they were obtained.
“That’s something that will have to come out in court, I guess,” Miller said.
Barton could not be reached for comment Tuesday. His father, Whitley County Circuit Clerk Gary Barton, refused to comment on the case as well.
Authorities would not speculate as to whether Barton could have fabricated the IDs in his father’s office. All Kentucky drivers’ licenses are issued by each county’s circuit clerk.
In September, 1998, Gary Barton’s step-daughter, Andrea Nicole Roy, pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree official misconduct for issuing ID cards and driver’s licenses from her father’s office that contained false information. About half a dozen of the phony IDs were given out. She was given a probated sentenced of 90 days in jail and was fined $100.