Louisville City Wire

A Louisville man has been sentenced to over 29 years in federal prison for his involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy and firearms offense. Jerlen Horton, aged 30, received a sentence of 28 years followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute significant quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and crack cocaine. He was also charged with possession of a firearm related to drug trafficking activities.

The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett from the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow from the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Paul Humphreys from the Louisville Metro Police Department.

Court documents reveal that Horton's sentence includes an additional one year and six months for violating his supervised release terms, making it a total of 29 years and six months without parole eligibility under the federal system.

Horton and his co-defendant Chicoby Summers were found guilty after a seven-day jury trial held in July this year. Summers is awaiting sentencing on December 10, 2024.

The investigation involved multiple law enforcement agencies including the ATF, LMPD, FBI, DEA, United States Postal Inspection Service among others. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Dahl and Josh Porter with support from paralegal Adela Alic.

This prosecution falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and community organizations. The program emphasizes building trust within communities while setting strategic enforcement priorities to enhance neighborhood safety.