Man sentenced in drug case
A Russellville man whose mother was accused of sneaking drugs into the Franklin County Jail for he and other inmates to use pleaded guilty to a drug crime on Wednesday, officials said.
According to Franklin County District Attorney Joey Rushing, Elvis Adam Presley, 26, of Russellville, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit a controlled substance crime-unlawful possession of a controlled substance at a pre-trial hearing on Wednesday.
Rushing said Presley received a 12-year sentence split with two years to serve, followed by five years of probation.
Rushing said the charges stemmed from an incident that occurred in April when Presley’s mother, Kathy Presley, 53, of Russellville, was accused of trying to smuggle drugs into the Franklin County Jail to be used by her son and inmates Malcolm Ray Starks, 30, and John B. Hester, IV, 34, both of Russellville.
According to Franklin County Sheriff Shannon Oliver, jail administrator Capt. Mark Swindle and other jail staff received information that Kathy Presley was allegedly bringing drugs into the jail when she was coming to see her son.
Oliver said Swindle and jail officers conducted an investigation and gathered enough information to arrest Kathy Presley and the other three inmates.
Kathy Presley was originally arrested for unlawful possession of a controlled substance and conspiracy to commit a controlled substance crime, while Starks, Hester and Adam Presley were originally arrested for promoting prison contraband and conspiracy to commit a controlled substance crime.
“Capt. Swindle and the jail staff did an outstanding job on this investigation to make sure we keep drugs out of the jail,” Oliver said at the time the arrests were made. “Their hard work on this case sends the message that this kind of activity will not be tolerated and you will be charged and arrested if you attempt to bring contraband into our jail.”
Rushing said Presley would receive credit for the time served since his arrest and he will serve out the remainder of his two years before beginning his probation.
