Facing counts of heroin trafficking

Twin brothers appeared Tuesday in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court to answer drug charges.

Jeremy and Jeffrey Ferguson, 23, both of 8849 County Road 1, South Point, each pleaded not guilty to charges of trafficking in heroin.

Jeremy Ferguson is charged with one fourth and two third-degree counts of trafficking in heroin. Jeffrey Ferguson is charged with one third-degree count of trafficking in heroin.

Judge Charles Cooper set bond at $30,000 cash or surety and $30,000 own-recognizance for each defendant. Pretrials were set for April 20.

In other cases:

• Matthew Mullens, 23, of 131 Township Road 1426, South Point, was arraigned on a first-degree count of rape of a child under the age of 13, to which he pleaded not guilty. Bond was set at $1 million and a pretrial was set for April 20.

• Billy Cooper, 29, of 611 S. Seventh St., Ironton, was arraigned on a first-degree count of rape, to which he pleaded not guilty by reason of mental defect.

Cooper ordered a competency evaluation and set bond at $100,000 cash or surety and OR.

• Stephen King Jr., 29, of 116 B. Freeman Court, South Point, was arraigned on a first-degree count of aggravated trafficking in drugs (meth) and a fourth-degree count of improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle, to which he pleaded not guilty. The indictment also listed specifications that King was allegedly in possession of a firearm and $205 cash.

Cooper set bond at $75,000 cash or surety and a pretrial was set for April 20.

• Jeremy Fleet, 35, of 918 S. Fifth St. Apt. C, Ironton, was arraigned on one fourth and two third-degree counts of trafficking in heroin, to which he pleaded not guilty. Cooper set bond at $100,000 cash or surety plus $100,000 OR. A pretrial was set for April 20.

• William Huskey, 33, of 1107 S. Third St., Ironton, was arraigned on a bill of information of fourth-degree trafficking in heroin, to which he pleaded guilty.

Cooper ordered a presentence investigation and set sentencing for April 20. Bond was set at $25,000 OR.