Ironton woman pleads guilty in drug case

Published 2:54 pm Thursday, March 27, 2014

An Ironton woman admitted her part in selling prescription drugs out of her home Wednesday in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court.

Lori Knipp, 48, of 2615 S. Fifth St., Ironton, pleaded guilty to two fifth-degree counts of permitting drug abuse, a fourth-degree count of trafficking in drugs and a fifth-degree count of possession of drugs.

The indictment also listed a specification that Knipp was in possession of $7,543 in cash as a result of illegal activity. That money was seized at the time of her arrest.

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Judge Charles Cooper set sentencing for April 9 and set bond at $50,000 own-recognizance.

Knipp, as well as Billy J. Barnett, 38, of the same address, was arrested in February following an investigation by the Lawrence Drug and Major Crimes Task Force.

Barnett’s case is still pending in common pleas court.

In other cases:

• Drucilla Hall, 62, of 80 Township Road 184 W., Pedro, was arraigned on a bill of information of one fourth- and three third-degree counts of complicity to trafficking in drugs, to which she pleaded not guilty.

Cooper set bond at $35,000 cash or surety or $25,000 property. A pretrial was set for April 9.

• Scott Lewis, 31, of 2108 S. Seventh St., Ironton, pleaded guilty to a count of second-degree robbery, which was amended from a first-degree count of aggravated robbery.

Cooper set sentencing for April 30 and amended Lewis’ bond to $15,000 cash or surety or $25,000 property.

• Leo Ulery, 20, of 3045 County Road 52, Willow Wood, was arraigned on a bill of information of fourth-degree theft of a bank card, to which he pleaded guilty.

Cooper set sentencing for April 9 and ordered a pre-sentence investigation. Bond was set at $5,000 cash or surety.

•Kricia Devaney, 25, of 5600 U.S. Route 60 E., Huntington, W.Va., admitted probation violations and was sentenced to eight years in prison.

• Brittany Wilson, 28, of Route 2 Box 611, LeSage, W.Va., admitted probation violations and was sentenced to three years in prison.

• William Barber Jr., 33, of 138 Township Road 111, Ironton, admitted probation violations in Judge D. Scott Bowling’s courtroom. Bowling extended the man’s probation another year and ordered him to complete 200 hours of community service.

•Meaghan Russell, 29, of 270 Highlawn Ave., Huntington, W.Va., admitted probation violations and was sentenced to eight months in prison.

• Rodney Miller, 29, homeless, admitted probation violations and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

• Jonathan Phillips, 25, of 1792 State Route 986, Olive Hill, Ky., pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of theft. A charge of third-degree illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs was dismissed.

Bowling sentenced the man to three years probation, 180 days in jail, suspended, and 200 hours community service.

• Kimi Conn, 31, of 693 Hillman Hollow, Olive Hill, Ky., pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of complicity to theft. A charge of third-degree illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs was dismissed.

Bowling sentenced the woman to three years probation and 200 hours community service.