Fayette County Man Sentenced to 240 Months for Armed Drug Trafficking and Illegal Possession of a Firearm
FRANKFORT, Ky. — A Lexington man, Cary Lamar Wilkerson, Jr., 24, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison on Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, for two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute 10 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and one count of possession with intent to distribute a fentanyl mixture.
According to court documents, in June 2022, law enforcement in Fayette County attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Wilkerson, but he refused to stop, resulting in a pursuit that endangered other motorists. Law enforcement was able to disable Wilkerson’s vehicle, but Wilkerson then fled on foot. After he was apprehended, officers located a firearm and 17 grams of flurofentanyl that Wilkerson had abandoned upon fleeing. The firearm was a Glock pistol, with a “Glock switch” that converts a semi-automatic pistol into a machinegun.
Law enforcement in Clark County encountered Wilkerson again in October 2022, when a vehicle was observed travelling over 100 mph on I-64. Law enforcement attempted a traffic stop, but the car accelerated and nearly struck multiple other vehicles. After crashing into a utility pole and fleeing on foot, Wilkerson was apprehended by law enforcement. During the foot chase, Wilkerson attempted to discard two bags of fentanyl and a firearm. Inside Wilkerson’s wrecked vehicle, law enforcement found more narcotics, cash, and numerous empty plastic bags.
Wilkerson pleaded guilty to the charges in May 2023.
Wilkerson has multiple prior convictions, including for robbery and drug trafficking. As a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Under federal law, Wilkerson must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for eight years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department; and Sheriff Berl Perdue, Jr., Clark County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by ATF and the Lexington Police Department, and the Clark County Sherriff’s Office. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cindy Rieker.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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