WHITLEY CITY —  The McCreary County Grand Jury returned indictments against 19 individuals last month, including several charges of promoting drug contraband.

    In possibly the first nonfederal indictment involving the local penitentiary, Evelyn Jones Burke, 63, of Baltimore, MD, has been charged with first-degree Trafficking in a Controlled Substance and first-degree Promoting Contraband. On August 5, Burke brought USP McCreary inmate Troy Gross more than two grams of heroin wrapped in facial tissue. The incident was presented to the grand jury by Kentucky State Police Trooper Craig Reed.

    The grand jury jointly indicted Holly Megan Sumner, 26, of Whitley City and Charles Aaron Stephens, 24, of Pine Knot. Sumner was indicted for first-degree Promoting Contraband after attempting to bring Suboxone, hidden in an MP3 player, into the McCreary County Detention Center on May 10. For arranging the incident as an MCDC inmate, Stephens is charged with Criminal Complicity to first-degree Promoting Contraband as well as being a second-degree Persistent Felony Offender. Stephens was previously convicted of drug trafficking in 2009.

    Kimberly N. Perry of Parkers Lake was indicted for first-degree Promoting Contraband and second-degree PFO after concealing a Suboxone strip under a stamp on an incoming letter to Timothy Perry, who at the time (January 6) was incarcerated at the McCreary County Detention Center. Perry has been previously convicted on possessing a forged prescription in 2010.

    In other news, grand jurors indicted:

    • David Allen Matthews, 32, of Winfield — Theft By Unlawful Taking Over $500 But Less Than $10,000. On August 27, Matthews took a 1997 Honda 4-wheeler belonging to Ronnie D. Wilson.

    • Doug Ponder, 34, and Kimberly Ponder, 28, both of Sunbright — first-degree Criminal Mischief. On September 15, 2010, the Ponders caused more than $1,000 in damages to a 1976 Champion House Trailer owned by Donald Dickman.

    • George Clayton Ridner, 59, of Parkers Lake — Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Cultivating Marijuana Under Five Plants Second Offense and Possession of Marijuana Under Eight Ounces. On September 30, 2011, Kentucky State Police Trooper Tony Dingess found Ridner in possession of one marijuana plant as well as a 30-30 rifle. Ridner was previously convicted of marijuana cultivation in 2003.

    • Brentley Ray Jones, 37, of Stearns — Cultivating Marijuana Five Plants Or More. On June 25, KSP Det. Billy Correll found Jones with five marijuana plants.

    • John H. Howard, 49, of Kodak, TN — first- and third-degree Possession of a Controlled Substance. On March 13, 2011, Trp. Dingess found Howard in possession of three Hydromorphone and four Diazepam pills.

    • Charles Murphy, 23, of Whitley City — first-degree Possession of a Controlled Substance. On August 3, McCreary County Detective David Sampson found Murphy in possession of 8.5 oxycodone tablets.

    • Marty McGuire, 43, and Amanda Gowin, 28, both of Monticello — McGuire is charged with Theft of Identity and first-degree PFO in connection to an August 23, 2011, incident in which he identified himself to Trp. Les Moses as J.C. Wallace in order to avoid an outstanding warrant. McGuire was previously convicted on drug-trafficking and forgery. Gowin is charged with Criminal Facilitation to Theft of Identity.

    • Stephen A. Watters, 22, of Parkers Lake and Ester B. Goins, 22 — Receiving Stolen Property Over $500 But Less Than $10,000. On April 1, the two were found in possession of two transmissions and two transfer cases belonging to Samuel Ridner.

    • Joshua Roberts, 28, of Whitley City — two counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument. Between June 15 and July 2, Roberts cashed two checks with the forged signature of Stephen Duncan, totaling $250.

    • Johnny W. Tucker, 29, of Stearns — two counts of Flagrant Non-Support. In connection to an August investigation, Tucker was found to "persistently" fail to provide financially for his two minor sons.

    • Joshua C. Miller, 27, of Pine Knot — Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. On September 21, 2011, Miller was found with a 12-gauge shotgun after having been previously convicted of burglary and theft in 2010.

    • Phillip Bryant, 22, of Somerset — first-degree Fleeing or Evading Police. On August 18, Bryant failed to stop as directed by Trp. Reed.

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    Readers are reminded that an indictment is a charge and should not be considered as evidence of an individual’s guilt. Anyone under indictment is presumed innocent until and unless convicted in a court of law.