LOUISVILLE, Ky. — This week, a Louisville jury found two local men guilty of several drug trafficking and firearm offenses.
Jerlen Horton, 30, and Chicoby Summers, 29, were both allegedly associated with the Victory Park Crips, "a violent street gang operating in the west end of Louisville," according to the Louisville ATF.
Horton and Summers were convicted this week after a seven-day trial of numerous felony offenses, including conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin and cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
“I commend the excellent work of the trial team as well as the outstanding investigative effort by ATF, LMPD, and our federal, state and local law enforcement partners who assisted in the investigation and apprehension of the defendants,” U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky said. “We will continue to prioritize the identification, apprehension, and prosecution of those whose conduct drives violence in the Western District in order to make our communities safer for all.”
The jury determined that between September 2021 and August 2023, Horton and Summers conspired to possess with the intent to distribute over one kilogram of fentanyl, over 250 grams of heroin, and a mixture of cocaine base, commonly referred to as “crack cocaine.”
Additionally, on Nov. 3, 2021, both defendants possessed with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine and possessed firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking crimes.
Lastly, the evidence presented at trial showed that on Nov. 3, 2021, Summers was on federal supervised release and escaped from custody. Officers said he escaped custody by ramming police vehicles and engaging in a high-speed pursuit. During that chase, Summers allegedly removed his ankle monitor.
The men then used false identities and eluded law enforcement for nearly two years until they were apprehended following a two-hour standoff by members of the United States Marshals Task Force on Aug. 22, 2023, in Long Beach, California.
Horton and Summers are scheduled for sentencing on Nov. 13, 2024. Both defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
