Archive for the 'Jessamine County' Category

Nicholasville men charged in arson

Published
by
H-L Justice Team
on March 19, 2009
in Jessamine County
. 5 Comments
By Greg Kocher - gkocher1@herald-leader.com

NICHOLASVILLE — Two men were charged Wednesday night with arson in connection with the Feb. 14 fire that destroyed a vacant apartment building, Nicholasville police said.

The fire was intentionally set by Thomas Aaron Gilbert, 29, of Nicholasville, police said in a release. Police said the owner of the building, Terry Rhodes Carter, 64, of Nicholasville had agreed that Gilbert would share a portion of the insurance money that Carter stood to gain by having the building burned.

Carter was charged with complicity to second-degree arson, a felony punishable by 10 to 20 years in prison. Gilbert was charged with third-degree arson, a felony punishable by one to five years in prison.

No one was hurt in the blaze but the fire was suspicious to investigators because the building had no electricity. The12-unit building at 306 Edgewood Drive in Nicholasville had been recently condemned by authorities and its occupants had been ordered to vacate. The building was a total loss, and has since been demolished.

Nicholasville police said the arrests were the result of a tip given by a person in response to a reward for information offered by the insurance company. The tip confirmed critical information for investigators with the Nicholasville Arson Task Force.

Both men were lodged in the Jessamine County jail.

Greg Kocher covers Jessamine County for the Herald-Leader. Reach him in the Nicholasville bureau at (859) 885-5775.

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Man accused of ramming house with SUV turns himself in, is charged

Published
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H-L Justice Team
on February 19, 2009
in Jessamine County
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Herald-Leader Staff Report

NICHOLASVILLE — Jonathan Lamb, the man accused of ramming his grandfather’s house with a Jeep Cherokee, turned himself in at the Jessamine County jail on Wednesday.

Lamb, 23, was charged with first-degree wanton endangerment, first-degree criminal mischief, and felony theft of a vehicle, said Deputy Sheriff Allen “Doodle” Peel.

Lamb’s vehicle also allegedly hit another vehicle in the driveway of his grandfather’s home on Union Mill Road east of Nicholasville. The incident was reported shortly before 10 p.m. Tuesday.

A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Monday in Jessamine District Court. A judge will hear evidence to determine whether there is probable cause to the send the case to a grand jury, which will decide whether Lamb should be indicted.

Lamb remains in the jail in lieu of a $10,000 bond.

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Updated | Versailles cemetery is vandalized

Published
by
H-L Justice Team
on February 18, 2009
in Jessamine County
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By Steve Lannen - slannen@herald-leader.com

Police in Versailles were looking Wednesday for clues in the vandalism of about more than 100 headstones in the Versailles cemetery, 251 South Locust Street.

About 150 markers were knocked over and about 20 were damaged, said Pat Melton, a Versailles Police spokesman.

A little after noon, families began to show up and inspect the damage where their relatives were buried, Melton said.

“This is truly a despicable act. Why someone would get their kicks from desecrating gravestones, I don’t know,” he said.

Since the gates were locked, it appeared the vandals jumped a 4-foot rock wall, Melton said.

Felony charges are possible including institutional vandalism and criminal mischief, he said.

A $2,000 reward is offered for information leading to arrests.

If you have information, call Versailles Police (859) 873-3126.

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Police: Man rammed SUV into house

Published
by
H-L Justice Team
on February 18, 2009
in Jessamine County
. 2 Comments
By Greg Kocher - gkocher1@herald-leader.com

NICHOLASVILLE — Police are looking for a man who fled after ramming a Jeep Cherokee into his grandfather’s house and into another vehicle in the drive.

Jonathon Lamb, 23, is wanted for first-degree wanton endangerment and first-degree criminal mischief, said Jessamine County Deputy Sheriff Allen “Doodle” Peel.

Shortly before 10 p.m. Tuesday, Lamb allegedly ran the Jeep into his grandfather’s house in the 3900 block of Union Mill Road east of Nicholasville, Peel said. No one was hurt, but Peel said Lamb was possibly armed with shotgun.

Anyone who has information about Jonathon Lamb’s whereabouts is asked to call the sheriff’s office at (859) 885-9512.

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Arson suspected in Jessamine fire

Published
by
H-L Justice Team
on February 17, 2009
in Jessamine County
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By Greg Kocher - gkocher1@herald-leader.com

NICHOLASVILLE — The fire that destroyed an apartment building is being investigated as a possible arson, the deputy fire chief said Tuesday.

Nicholasville Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Baker said investigators determined that there were “multiple points of origin where the fire started.” He would not give any other details.

No one has been charged, but the Nicholasville Arson Task Force and Nicholasville police are investigating, Baker said.

The building at 306 Edgewood Drive was torn down by heavy equipment Tuesday, Baker said, “because it was very unsafe. It’s literally a pile of rubble now.”

No one was hurt in the early Saturday morning blaze. But the circumstances surrounding the fire have been questioned because the 12-unit building had been condemned, was vacant, had no electricity and was scheduled to be sold Friday at a master commissioner’s sale.

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Nicholasville man charged after woman shot in truck

Published
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Steve Lannen
on January 12, 2009
in Jessamine County
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NICHOLASVILLE – A Nicholasville man has been charged with attempted murder after he allegedly shot a handgun into a vehicle, striking the driver, police said.

Isaiah “Ikie” Wilkinson, 31, was also charged with possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, Nicholasville police said.

The incident happened at about 6:15 p.m. Sunday, when police responded to a call of a shooting on Courchelle Drive.

Witnesses told police there had been a confrontation between Wilkinson’s girlfriend and the shooting victim. When the victim, who was not identified, drove from the scene of the confrontation toward her home, Wilkinson was standing in the street waiting for her, police said. As she drove by, Wilkinson fired one shot into the driver’s side window and struck the victim in the left shoulder, police said.

She was taken to University of Kentucky Hospital for treatment.

Police served a search warrant several hours later at Wilkinson’s house and found several firearms, including the weapon they believe was used in the shooting.

Wilkinson was taken to the Jessamine County jail.

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2 charged in alleged counterfeit scam in Boyle Co.

Published
by
H-L Justice Team
on October 23, 2008
in Jessamine County
. 2 Comments

By Greg Kocher
gkocher1@herald-leader.com

Boyle County police are hearing from victims of an alleged scam involving counterfeit traveler’s checks, cashier’s checks and money orders.

The scheme came to light Tuesday night in Boyle County, and led police to find $161,300 worth of fake documents in a Nicholasville apartment.

“Right now, I’ve got people from all over the state of Kentucky who have been scammed by this program,” said Boyle County Deputy Sheriff Marty Elliott. “I’ve never seen anything of this nature.”

Two people have been arrested and a third arrest is coming, Elliott said.

Tammy Gomez, 42, of Nicholasville, and Timothy Preston, 39, of Harrodsburg were both charged with two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, a felony. They remain lodged in the Boyle County jail.

Elliott said Preston attempted to pass a counterfeit document Tuesday night at the Trading Post convenience store in Parksville, a community southwest of Danville.

Employees were wary about the document, Elliot said, because a similar document had previously passed at that store. That document came back from the bank stamped “counterfeit.”

The store alerted 911 and employees continued to talk to Preston until police arrived and detained him, Elliott said.

Gomez, meanwhile, left the store in a vehicle but was stopped by police in nearby Junction City, east of Parksville. During a search of the vehicle, police found United Parcel Service receipts for documents sent all over the United States, including Texas, California, New Mexico, New York and Wisconsin.

A search of the Gomez apartment on Beauford Place in Nicholasville uncovered $161,300 worth of traveler’s checks, cashier’s check and money orders that were about to be distributed, Elliott said.

Police were told the documents originated in South Africa. Gomez and Preston were to distribute the documents from Central Kentucky to addresses throughout the country. The people would then cash them and send part of the proceeds back to Gomez and Preston, who in turn would wire money to South Africa. The two were then to receive 10 percent of the proceeds.

Elliott said he doesn’t think there is a South African connection. He suspects that Preston and Gomez were themselves being scammed by “somebody in the states.”

In any case, “Several people from other counties are calling me, telling me they’ve been affected by this,” Elliott said. “We’re getting banks contacting us, saying ‘We’ve cashed these things.’”

Elliott said he intends to contact the U.S. Treasury Department or the FBI about the matter. Kentucky State Police have also expressed interest in the operation, he said.

Boyle Deputy Sheriffs Al Isaacs and Derek Robbins are assisting in the investigation.

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