TWO JOHNSON COUNTY MEN ARRESTED BY KENTUCKY STATE POLICE FOR METH TRAFFICKING IN MAGOFFIN COUNTY, KY.
ONE SUSPECT WAS QUICKLY IDENTIFIED BY KSP AS HAVING METH POSSESSION CHARGES ON HIS CRIMINAL RECORD
MAY 5, 2024 – written by WADE QUEEN
Nicholas Shane Barnett, top, and Tony Endicott
Two Johnson County, Kemtucky men were arrested during a traffic safety checkpoint held on the Mountain Parkway in Magoffin County, Kentucky by the Kentucky State Police Post 9-Pikeville, during the last Thursday night of last month.
On Thursday, April 25, Kentucky State Police troopers asked a black SUV to pull to the side of the road after the driver was unable to produce any registration or insurance paperwork.
The driver of the vehicle, identified as Nicholas Shane Barnett, 36, of West Van Lear, KY., in Johnson County, provided KSP trooper Billy Ball with his driver’s license, which came back as revoked, and police ran the ID of the passenger, identified as Tony Ray Endicott, 58, also of West Van Lear, KY., which also came back as being suspended and that he had prior methamphetamine possession charges on his criminal record.
During a search, troopers found a prescription medication bottle with no label in Tony Endicott’s pocket, with the bottle containing a mixture of non-controlled tablets. In the same pocket, law enforcement reportedly found a cut off straw with a visible white residue. Tony Endicott at first denied using the straw for drug usage, but later told troopers he had used it to snort pain pills, reportedly saying, “he wished he had one to snort right now,” according to the arrest citation.
During a probable cause search of the vehicle, troopers found a methamphetamine pipe hidden inside a glove in Tony Endicott’s bag, located at his feet. In the center console, law enforcement reportedly found a large plastic baggie containing 237 grams (just a little over a half [.5] of one pound), of a clear, rock-like substance suspected to be methamphetamine, according to the police report.
While both of the men denied ownership of the drug, after interviewing Nicholas Barnett and Tony Endicott individually, police noted in the citation they believe both were involved in the illegal act of drug trafficking, suspecting they had traveled out of town, purchased a large quantity of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute the drug in the Paintsville community of Johnson County.
According to the arrest citation, police also found 4 grams of a substance believed to be methamphetamine in Nicholas Barnett’s pocket. Nicholas Barnett stated the 4 grams were his, but he did not know anything about the large quantity in the center console.
Tony Endicott later told police they had missed a methamphetamine pipe in his jacket pocket during the search, as well, according to the KSP arrest citation report.
The suspected methamphetamine was sent to the Kentucky State Police laboratory for drug identification and Lemaster’s Towing was called to remove the vehicle from the scene.
Both Nicholas Barnett and Tony Endicott were transported to and lodged in the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center in Paintsville, in Johnson County. Nicholas Barnett has since then been released from the BSDRC after posting his bond; however, Tony Endicott still remains in the BSRDC as of Saturday evening, May 4.
Nicholas Shane Barnett is currently facing the following charges:
- OPERATING ON SUSPENDED OR REVOKED OPERATORS LICENSE,
- POSSESSING LICENSE WHEN PRIVILEGES ARE REVOKED,
- TRAFFCKING IN CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, 1ST DEGREE, 1ST OFFENSE – (> OR = 2 GRAMS METHAMPHETAMINE),
- DRUG PARAPHERNALIA – BUY/POSSESS.
Tony Ray Endicott was charged with:
- TRAFFCKING IN CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, 1ST DEGREE, 1ST OFFENSE – (> OR = 2 GRAMS METHAMPHETAMINE),
- DRUG PARAPHERNALIA – BUY/POSSESS.
Both Nicholas Barnett & Tony Endicott are set for preliminary hearings in their felony cases on Monday, May 6, at 9:15 A.M., at the Magoffin County Justice Center in Salyersville, KY.
