Paducah, KY – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging Buddy Chambless with drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
According to court records, Buddy Chambless, 38, of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, is charged with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Chambless has a prior felony conviction for trafficking methamphetamine while armed. The indictment seeks forfeiture of over a dozen firearms that were seized during the course of the investigation.
Chambless will be scheduled to make an initial court appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, Chambless faces up to 40 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Louisville Field Division made the announcement.
The ATF and the Christian County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Aimee Clymer-Hancock and Assistant United States Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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