Lexington Man Sentenced for Armed Fentanyl Trafficking

LEXINGTON, Ky. - A Lexington man, Jago Clay, 24, was sentenced to 108 months, on Friday, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

According to his plea agreement, on June 17, 2022, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Clay's vehicle, due to an upside-down license plate affixed to the wrong vehicle. During the stop, officers found a large bag containing approximately 256 pressed fentanyl pills, a digital scale, and two loaded handguns. Clay admitted to knowingly possessing the fentanyl pills, with the intent distribute them, and to possessing the firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking.

Under federal law, Clay must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.

Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Col. Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.

The case was investigated by the ATF, KSP, and Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paco Villalobos prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice's "Project Safe Neighborhoods" Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety - one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

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