Whitley County man pleads guilty to using Facebook to threaten federal witness

A Whitley County man has pleaded guilty in federal court to using Facebook to threaten a witness in an ATF investigation into the trafficking of methamphetamine.

Kenneth Andrew Dodd, 28, pleaded guilty Feb. 12 to charges set out in an information. According to the information, Dodd was accused of knowingly making materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements and representations pertaining to a matter within the jurisdiction of a department or agency of the United States, and used an electronic communication system and service and facility of interstate and foreign commerce with the intent to injure harass, and intimidate a person.

According to the plea agreement, Dodd had obtained a summary of an interview U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents had conducted with the witness that provided information on multiple drug and firearms trafficking suspects and posted it to Facebook.

“The post elicited numerous comments, which referred to Victim 1 as a “rat,” weak hearted whore,” and other terms,” the plea agreement stated noting that the post also identified Victim 1’s children.

“The Defendant’s Facebook ‘Friends’ included numerous individuals in the ‘meth game,’ meaning the Defendant knew these individuals to be engaged in methamphetamine trafficking and were familiar with Victim 1,” the plea agreement states adding that Dodd also distributed the interview via Facebook Messenger.

The plea agreement also noted that Dodd knowingly made false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements when he denied having a Facebook Account to AT Special Agent Todd Tremaine on two occasions.

Dodd faces up to five years in prison on each count and a fine of up to $250,000.

He is scheduled to return to U.S. District Court in London on June 8 for formal sentencing.