Federal Grand Jury Returns Two Indictments Charging Nine Individuals with Drug Trafficking Offenses (DOJ)

Louisville, KY - On January 7, 2026, a federal grand jury in Louisville returned two indictments charging nine Louisville residents and one Detroit, Michigan resident with drug trafficking offenses.

U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Acting Special Agent in Charge Colin W. Jackson of the Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, and Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police made the announcement.

According to one indictment, Reginald Forsythe, 46, of Louisville, Damon Lewis, 50, of Louisville, Timothy McAtee, 46, of Louisville, Aiyisha Daniels, 43, of Detroit, James Henderson, 70, of Louisville, and Crystal Adams, 54, of Louisville are charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine. Forsythe is also charged with one count of concealment money laundering. The drug conspiracy and money laundering activity occurred between September 3, 2024, and January 7, 2026.

According to the other indictment, Isaiah Washington, 43, Chelsea Brown, 42, and James Leffler, 38, all of Louisville, are charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Both indictments stem from a months-long multi-agency investigation which identified and dismantled a drug trafficking organization responsible for the flow of large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine from Detroit, Michigan to the streets of Louisville and beyond. As part of the investigation, 10 federal residential search warrants were executed in Louisville and 5 more search warrants were executed in Detroit on January 10, 2026, in a coordinated law enforcement action involving multiple federal and state agencies.

All defendants have been arrested and made their initial court appearances this week before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.

If convicted, all defendants face a sentence of a minimum of 10 year and a maximum of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

There is no parole in the federal system.

The cases are being investigated by the Louisville Metro Police Department, DEA Louisville, DEA Detroit, ATF, IRS, KSP, FBI, HSI, U.S. Marshal Service, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, St. Matthews Police Department, the Louisville Airport Police Department, and the Bardstown Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erwin Roberts, Mac Shannon and Robert Bonar are prosecuting the cases.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Nashville is comprised of agents and officers from the FBI, ATF, HSI, ERO, DEA, IRS, USMS, USPIS, USSS and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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