SALYERSVILLE – A Magoffin man was arrested on a drug trafficking charge early Tuesday morning.
According to the arrest citation, on March 18 at approximately 1 a.m., Magoffin County Sheriff Department Deputy N. Watson and Deputy D. Watson were on patrol on KY Rt. 378 when they observed an individual walking and recognized him, so they stopped to ask if he was okay and why he was out walking late at night with a dim flashlight.
Jerry Shepherd, 54, of Salyersville, was reportedly extremely nervous and started putting his hands in his pockets, stating he was a convicted felon for drugs, according to the police report.
The officers ran his name through the database and it showed Shepherd was suspended with four prior DUIs, according to the citation.
Police asked him to keep his hands out of his pockets and to step to the front of the police vehicle. Shepherd was asked to empty his pockets, but police noted they found a black nylon hard shell case lying on the ground next to Shepherd’s left food, while he kept turning to keep his left side away from the officers, according to the citation.
The deputies found a large amount of a white, rocky-type substance in two different bags inside the case, and Shepherd was placed under arrest, according to the police report.
During an inventory of Shepherd’s possessions, police noted finding the following: a nylon case containing more than 2 ounces of methamphetamine with two different bags containing different amounts of the substance and a small “distribution” bag containing another small amount of meth, as well as small baggies used for distribution, $682 in cash, a Visa card belonging to someone else and an AUG-6V knife.
Shepherd was taken to the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center, where he remains at press time, facing the charges of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, second or greater offense (greater than or equal to two grams methamphetamine); and persistent felony offender.
Editor’s Note: The indictment or charge of a person by a grand jury or otherwise is an accusation only and that person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
