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Lexington man to plead guilty in federal meth, gun trafficking case
A Lexington man accused of running a large methamphetamine and firearms trafficking operation has agreed to plead guilty to six federal felony charges, according to a plea agreement filed this week in U.S. District Court. Martaveus Lee Bell Jr. is set to plead guilty to distributing large quantities of methamphetamine, possessing meth with intent…
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Four plead guilty in traveling theft scheme that hit hospitals, campuses across the South
Four defendants accused of traveling across multiple states to steal wallets from hospitals and universities and then rack up hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent purchases have pleaded guilty in federal court in Lexington, abandoning plans for a February jury trial. The case, filed last spring in the Eastern District of Kentucky, alleged…
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Lexington police officer resigns after disciplinary board recommends firing over racist AI-generated videos
A Lexington police officer resigned after an internal investigation found he shared racist and inflammatory, artificial-intelligence-generated videos with another officer — including one depicting George Floyd — prompting a disciplinary review board to unanimously recommend his termination, according to police records. Officer Joshua Yeager, hired in 2022, resigned effective Dec. 2, 2025, after the…
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Former GOP lawmaker seeks impeachment of Fayette judge after appeals court rebuke
LEXINGTON — A former Kentucky state representative has filed an impeachment petition against Fayette Circuit Judge Julie Goodman, citing what he calls a pattern of legal overreach and misconduct — including her now-reversed dismissal of a murder case stemming from a fatal Lexington crash. Killian Timoney, a Republican who previously represented House District 45…
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Federal immigration case stems from Fayette County jail’s cooperation with ICE
LEXINGTON – A man accused in Fayette County of raping a child has now been charged in federal court with illegally reentering the United States after a prior deportation, according to court records filed Tuesday. Federal prosecutors filed a criminal complaint Tuesday charging Pablo Mondono-Santiago, a Mexican citizen, with being found in the United…
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Former Tempur Sealy supervisor admits to $1M wire fraud scheme
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A former transportation supervisor for Tempur Sealy International has pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud after prosecutors say he stole more than $1 million from the company by misusing employee travel credit cards and submitting fabricated expense reports. Christian Silvers Velazquez, who also used the names Micah Bravery and…
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Federal court update: Guilty pleas, upcoming sentencings mark busy stretch in Lexington drug cases
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A wave of plea agreements and newly scheduled sentencings is reshaping several major federal drug prosecutions in the Eastern District of Kentucky, according to recent court filings. In multiple unrelated cases involving allegations of opioid, fentanyl and cocaine trafficking, defendants who had been awaiting trial for months have instead moved toward…
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The Fund Making Lexington Great Again (For Whom, Exactly?)
There’s a familiar sound drifting through downtown Lexington right now. It’s the soft whir of feasibility studies spinning up. The polite clink of champagne glasses. The reassuring phrase world-class landing just so. And behind it all, a chorus: Trust us. The Herald-Leader’s recent tour through Lexington’s blossoming arts proposals reads like a city finally…
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Lexington council approves bonds, zoning changes, routine spending at Jan. 22 meeting
LEXINGTON — The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council approved a package of bond financing, zoning changes and routine budget and personnel measures Thursday night, moving forward with infrastructure projects and administrative adjustments while drawing little public debate. The most consequential action was council’s approval on second reading of an ordinance authorizing up to $18.04 million…
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Planning Commission hears updates on growth management, Complete Streets, long-range planning
LEXINGTON — Lexington’s Planning Commission on Thursday received wide-ranging updates on how the city is managing growth, transportation safety and long-range planning priorities, including a preview of an ordinance that could fundamentally reshape how future urban expansion decisions are made. Much of the work session focused on the proposed Lexington Preservation and Growth Management…