A Newport, Kentucky man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Raymond Hammond, Jr., 38, received the sentence from Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning on Friday.
The case began on March 1, 2024, when law enforcement intercepted a package containing over 1300 grams of a methamphetamine mixture addressed to a Newport residence. Authorities discovered that inquiries about the package were made from a specific phone number. A controlled delivery was conducted on March 5, 2024, where agents left the package on the porch of the intended address. After it was taken inside, agents searched the residence and found Hammond's co-defendant, Redrick Mincy, 26, along with the package. Mincy confessed he had agreed to receive the package for Hammond. Hammond was subsequently arrested and admitted his intention to distribute the methamphetamine.
Mincy has already been sentenced to one year and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Hammond is required by federal law to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence. Upon release, he will be under U.S. Probation Office supervision for ten years.
The sentencing announcement was made by Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Lesley Allison, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service's Pittsburgh Field Division.
The investigation was carried out by USPIS with Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Spievack prosecuting the case.