Several cases are resolved in Pulaski Circuit Court

Two Pulaski County men and a third man from Fayette County will be spending time behind bars after their cases were resolved last week in Pulaski County Circuit Court.

According to Eddy F. Montgomery, commonwealth’s attorney for Pulaski, Lincoln and Rockcastle counties, the court sentenced Edward Gilmore and Brian Padgett, both of Somerset, and set a sentencing date for Juan Brown of Lexington. All three men were involved in separate drug cases.

Gilmore, 45, was sentenced to eight years in prison on four counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

David L. Dalton, a prosecutor for UNITE, said a confidential informant purchased cocaine from Gilmore on three occasions in June and July of 2006. A search of Gilmore’s home last July turned up 12 grams of cocaine, the prosecutor said.

Judge Jeffrey T. Burdette denied a request for probation and remanded Gilmore to the Department of Corrections.

Padgett, 25, was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment on two counts of first-degree possession of a controlled substance.

Dalton said Padgett was arrested and charged in connection with dealing cocaine in 2005 following an investigation by Operation UNITE. He pleaded guilty and was placed on pretrial diversion. Padgett was offered drug court and drug treatment.

In May, Padgett was arrested and convicted of use or possession of drug paraphernalia in Hardin County, several counties away from Padgett’s area of supervision. The court voided his pretrial diversion at a hearing last month.

At the sentencing hearing, Dalton urged the court to impose the entire 10-year sentence on the grounds Padgett did not take the pretrial diversion seriously.

Brown, 25, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

He was arrested and charged after a confidential informant with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department and an undercover officer with Operation UNITE purchased quantities of cocaine from Brown at Days Inn, a motel in Somerset. He was arrested on March 27 by officers from the two agencies and Somerset Police Department.

Final sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 16.

Operation UNITE is a regional anti-drug initiative, created by U.S. Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, R-Somerset, that serves 29 southern and eastern Kentucky counties.