Federal Jury in Louisville Finds Two Defendants Guilty of Drug Trafficking Conspiracy and Firearms Offenses

Louisville, KY – This week a federal jury convicted two Louisville men, following a seven-day trial of numerous felony offenses, including conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Interim Chief Paul Humphreys of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.

“I commend the excellent work of the trial team as well as the outstanding investigative effort by ATF, LMPD, and our federal, state and local law enforcement partners who assisted in the investigation and apprehension of the defendants,” stated U.S. Attorney Bennett. “We will continue to prioritize the identification, apprehension, and prosecution of those whose conduct drives violence in the Western District in order to make our communities safer for all.”   

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between September 25, 2021, and August 22, 2023, Jerlen Horton, 30, and Chicoby Summers, 29, conspired to possess with the intent to distribute over one kilogram of fentanyl, over 250 grams of heroin, and a mixture of cocaine base, commonly referred to as “crack cocaine.” Additionally, on November 3, 2021, both defendants possessed with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine and possessed firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking crimes. Lastly, the evidence presented at trial established that on November 3, 2021, Summers was on federal supervised release and escaped from custody. 

Both Horton and Summers were utilizing false identities and were fugitives from justice until they were apprehended by law enforcement following a standoff with members of the United States Marshals Task Force on August 22, 2023, in Long Beach, California.

Horton and Summers are scheduled for sentencing on November 13, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Both defendants remain detained pending sentencing. Both defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence for each defendant after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. 

There is no parole in the federal system.

The ATF and LMPD investigated the case, with assistance from the FBI, DEA, United States Postal Inspection Service, Kentucky State Police, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Long Beach California Police Department, Verdigris Oklahoma Police Department, and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Dahl and Josh Porter are prosecuting the case, with assistance from paralegal specialist Adela Alic.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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