Two former county Road Dept. employees indicted on drug charges

A Whitley County Grand Jury indicted a former Whitley County Road Department Supervisor and another former road department employee Monday morning for allegedly selling marijuana late last year at the county garage.

The grand jury charged Jerry Davis, 44, of 421 Deep Branch Road, with a single count of trafficking in marijuana under eight ounces. He allegedly sold $600 worth of marijuana to an undercover Kentucky State Police officer on Dec. 2, according to the indictment.

The grand jury charged Davis and Joe Croley, 62, of 7196 Highway 92E, with a single count of trafficking in marijuana over eight ounces but less than five pounds.

They allegedly sold one-half pound of marijuana to an undercover Kentucky State Police officer for $1,200 on Dec. 8, according to the indictment.

At the time of his arrest, Davis was Whitley County Road Department Supervisor.

On the day he was arrested, Davis was placed on "administrative suspension without pay" pending the outcome of his case.

In April, he was replaced as road supervisor, and paperwork was underway to terminate his employment, county officials said.

Whitley County Judge-Executive Pat White Jr. said Tuesday morning that Croley was also an employee at the county garage at the time of the incident, but that he quit about two or three months ago.

Until the indictment was returned Monday, no one else had been named in connection with the investigation.

Kentucky State Police Detective David Lassiter, the investigating officer in the case, said in January that both drug buys were allegedly made at the county garage, which is located at Goldbug near Exit 15.

On Jan. 19, police approached Davis and informed him that he would be facing trafficking charges, according to a warrant.

"During the conversation with police, Davis indicated that he knew the identity of the confidential informant. Davis was instructed by police not to have direct or indirect contact with the confidential informant," according to the warrant.

Lassiter said that it wouldn’t have been difficult for Davis to figure out, who the confidential informant was based upon information in the arrest warrant.

On Jan. 21, Davis allegedly sent a family member to the confidential informant’s residence, and the informant told police that in the past this Davis family member had produced a weapon and threatened to shoot him, according to the warrant, which doesn’t indicate who the family member was.

Davis’ indictment made no mention of the witness intimidation allegations.

Davis’ attorney, Wayne Shepherd, entered a not guilty plea on his client’s behalf during his arraignment Monday afternoon before Circuit Judge Paul Braden, who scheduled an Aug. 2 pre-trial conference in the case.

Croley wasn’t in court Monday.