Samuel C. Atkins, a 52-year-old resident of Pikeville, has been handed a prison sentence of 396 months. This comes after he was found guilty of possessing 40 grams or more of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, distributing fluorofentanyl, and illegally possessing firearms as a convicted felon. The announcement was made by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
According to court documents, the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force located Atkins at a residence in Richmond on Jan. 3, 2023, while they were executing two outstanding state arrest warrants, as stated by the U.S. attorney’s office.
During the search of the residence, law enforcement officers discovered 16 firearms, along with quantities of methamphetamine and fluorofentanyl in Atkins’s bedroom, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
Atkins, who had multiple prior felony convictions, confessed to acquiring some of the firearms through his involvement in drug trafficking, the office confirmed.
After being arrested, Atkins was taken to the Madison County Detention Center, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
A few days later, employees at the detention center responded to an incident in Atkins’s cell. It was reported that four other inmates had experienced non-fatal overdoses.
Upon further investigation, law enforcement discovered several baggies within the cell. These baggies contained approximately two and a half ounces of fentanyl and fluorofentanyl, as reported by the U.S. attorney’s office.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Atkins later confessed to hiding the drugs, bringing them into the detention center, and distributing them to fellow inmates.
After serving a 33-year sentence, Atkins will be under the watchful eye of the U.S. Probation Office for eight years.
