Thirteen people have been federally indicted and seven others face state charges following a months-long drug trafficking investigation that culminated this week with coordinated raids across Owensboro and Daviess County.
Officials say the federal indictment, returned July 15 by a grand jury in Bowling Green and unsealed this week, alleges the defendants conspired to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine between November 2025 and July 14, 2026, in Daviess County and elsewhere. All 13 defendants have now been arrested.
The arrests began during Wednesday morning’s large-scale enforcement operation, in which the Owensboro Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration executed eight federal search warrants and seven state search warrants. According to a release, the FBI and Daviess County Sheriff’s Office executed an additional federal search warrant.
The operation resulted in the arrest of 20 people — 13 on federal charges and seven on state charges. Officials say investigators seized more than 4 pounds of methamphetamine, 16.5 grams of cocaine, more than 4 pounds of marijuana, fentanyl pills, 29 firearms, and U.S. currency.
According to the federal indictment, those charged are:
- Michael Mayfield, 68, of Owensboro
- Shawn Pendleton, 29, of Owensboro
- Andrew Owen, 33, of Owensboro
- James Jordan McCarthy, 35, of Owensboro
- Brandon Horne, 43, of Owensboro
- Rodney Murch, 43, of Owensboro
- Timothy Barnes, 67, of Owensboro
- Byron Todd Huff, 52, of Owensboro
- Brooke Love-Moss, 35, of Mayfield
- Gregory Belcher, 65, of Philpot
- Jonathan Boone, 41, of Owensboro
- Stephan Hill, 63, of Owensboro
- Jeremy Royal, 49, of Owensboro
All 13 are charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, according to the U. S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Kentucky.
Additionally, Mayfield is charged with two counts of distributing methamphetamine; Owen is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and Pendleton faces three counts of distributing methamphetamine and two counts of distributing cocaine.
Eight defendants — Mayfield, Pendleton, Owen, McCarthy, Horne, Belcher, Boone, and Hill — made initial appearances Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, the attorney’s office said. Huff and Love-Moss made appearances Thursday, while Murch and Royal will appear at a later date. Detention hearings are scheduled to begin July 27, officials said.
The release says that if convicted on the conspiracy charge, each defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.
In addition to the residences tied to the federally charged defendants, search warrants were executed at locations in the 600 block of Plum Street, the 600 block of Cedar Street, 51 Bon Harbor Hills, and 1027 Goetz Drive.
According to OPD, the investigation also resulted in state charges against:
- Samantha Johnson, 58, of the 600 block of Plum Street
- Joshua Duggins, 40, of the 700 block of Delray Street
- Chanda Houtchen, 49, of the 2500 block of Arbor Terrace
- Ricky James, 42, of Owensboro
- Eryn Coy, 28, of the 2500 block of Southtown Boulevard
- Brittney Stepp, 34, of the 400 block of East Highland Court
- Hailey McGehee, 24, of Owensboro
Police did not release the specific state charges. OPD said it was unable to release information about Wednesday’s operation until the U.S. Attorney’s Office authorized the release because those arrested on the federal charges had been indicted under seal.
U.S. Attorney Kyle Bumgarner said the federal indictment alleges the organization distributed methamphetamine in Owensboro for nearly nine months before being dismantled during the July 22 operation.
“Unfortunately, dope dealers in Daviess County have not taken heed of previous federal drug trafficking indictments that resulted in substantial sentences,” Bumgarner said. “As alleged in the indictment unsealed [recently], this drug trafficking organization operated for nearly nine months, distributing methamphetamine onto the streets of Owensboro, until they were taken down in a sweeping law enforcement operation.”
He credited the Owensboro Police Department, Daviess County Sheriff’s Office, and the federal agents assigned to the Louisville Homeland Security Task Force for the investigation.
The investigation was led by the DEA Evansville Resident Office, FBI Owensboro Resident Office, OPD, and the Owensboro-Daviess County Drug Task Force, with assistance from IRS Criminal Investigation, DCSO, Homeland Security Investigations, Indiana State Police, and Kentucky State Police.
