Laurel County, Ky. (Sept. 11, 2019) - Sheriff John Root is reporting that: Laurel Sheriff's Detective Sgt. Chris Edwards along with Sgt. Brett Reeves, Deputy Taylor McDaniel, Deputy Jamie Etherton, Deputy Robert Reed, and Detective Bryon Lawson arrested three individuals on Tuesday morning September 10, 2019 at approximately 8:51 AM.
The arrests occurred following an investigation that deputies conducted regarding a report of a male subject allegedly being robbed at gunpoint at a service station off West Cumberland Gap Pkwy.
This individual stated he was robbed, tied up and transported to another location and his pickup truck stolen. Deputies spotted the vehicle (a blue colored Chevrolet pickup) in the south end of Laurel County off American greeting card Road.
A traffic stop was conducted where the driver was determined to be under the influence and a passenger in the vehicle was wanted on an outstanding warrant.
It was also determined that the vehicle had not been stolen and the original complainant was not telling the truth about a robbery and theft.
The three arrested individuals were identified as:
The original complainant that had reported his truck stolen and a robbery – Jerry Lee Smith age 39 of Gray, KY charged with:
- Falsely reporting an incident
In addition, this subject was wanted on an outstanding Laurel District Court bench warrant of arrest charging:
- Failure to appear in court on charges of public intoxication – controlled substances
The driver of the pickup truck – Steven Myers age 31 of Corbin charged with:
- Operating a motor vehicle under the influence – third offense
- Driving on DUI suspended license – first offense
- Resisting arrest
- Giving officer false identifying information
- Failure to wear seatbelts
- Other traffic violations
The passenger in the pickup truck – Latrina Martin age 33 of Barbourville, KY -Charged on a Whitley District Court bench warrant of arrest charging:
- Failure to appear in court on charges of possession of a controlled substance – third-degree
- Contempt of court
These three individuals were lodged in the Laurel County Correctional Center.
Photos of accused attached are courtesy of the Laurel County Correctional Center.
