Knox County Grand Jury Indictments: June 2025

• James Ray Vaughn, Gray, Ky.: Three counts of Wanton Endangerment in the First Degree for “wantonly, and with manifest indifference to the value of human life, pointed a gun at” three individuals on May 3, 2025, “thereby creating a danger of death of serious physical injury.”
  
  

• Jonathan Ryan Centers, Corbin, Ky.: One count of Tampering with Physical Evidence when he “knowingly fabricated physical evidence, several baggies of a crystal like substance, with the intent that it be introduced in evidence as genuine at a subsequent official proceeding;” one count of Falsely Reporting an Incident by “knowingly giving fake information to any law enforcement officer with the intent to implicate another” on May 20, 2025.
  
  

• Joseph Brandon Gambrell, Artemus, Ky.: One count of Theft of a Firearm by “knowingly and unlawfully taking a firearm owned by Lonnie Lockard;” one count of “Theft by Unlawful Taking of the Value of $1,000 or More But Less Than $10,000” by “knowingly and unlawfully taking several Dewalt tools a Stihl weed eater and chainsaw and other items of the value of $1,000 or more but less than $10,000 owned by KCEOC;” one count of Persistent Felony Offender in the First Degree, with five prior felony convictions in Whitley and Pulaski Counties from 2011 through 2022.
  
  

• James Allen Helton, Flat Lick, Ky.: One count of Fleeing or Evading the Police in the First Degree by “knowingly and unlawfully failing to obey signals… to stop a vehicle driven by the defendant in an attempt to elude law enforcement officials and doing so while under the influence of intoxicants;” one count of Failure to Wear a Seat Belt; one count of Operating a Motor Vehicle While Under the Influence of Intoxicants, Third Offense, with two prior convictions of the same charge in 2025 and 2017; one count of Reckless Driving; one count of Driving a Motor Vehicle While License is Revoked or Suspended for Driving Under the Influence, First Offense; one count of Resisting arrest; one count of Persistent Felony Offender in the First Degree for three prior felony convictions from 2013-2021.
  
  

• Alex Smallwood, London, Ky.: One count of Fleeing or Evading the Police in the First Degree; one count of Speeding; one count of Reckless Driving; one count of Driving a Motor Vehicle While License is Revoked or Suspended for Driving Under the Influence, First Offense; one count of Operating a Motor Vehicle While Under the Influence of Intoxicants, First Offense; one count of Persistent Felony Offender in the Second Degree for a prior felony conviction from 2019.
  
  

• Jerry Messer, Artemus, Ky.: One count of Possession of a Handgun by a Convicted Felon with a prior felony conviction in 2006; one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon with a prior felony conviction in 2006; one count of Persistent Felony Offender in the Second Degree with a prior felony conviction in 2023.
  
  

• Ray Scott Phipps, Barbourville, Ky.: One count of Presenting Fraudulent Claims to Defraud the Kentucky Medical Assistance program of the Value of $1,000 or More when he “unlawfully made, presented, or caused to be presented, to an employee or officer of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, fraudulent timesheets resulting in a total loss to the Kentucky Medical Assistance Program of more than $1,000, and/or when, with the intention of promoting or facilitating the commission of the offense, the Defendant solicited, commanded, or engaged in a conspiracy with such other person to commit the offense and/or aided, counseled, or attempted to aid such other person in planning or committing the offense” from April 2017 to April 2018.
  
  

• John Brandon Gray, Williamsburg, Ky.: One count of Stangulation in the First Degree; one count of Theft by Unlawful Taking of the Value of $1,000 or More but Less than $10,000; one count of Assault in the Fourth Degree; one count of Terroristic Threatening in the Third Degree; one count of Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree; one count of Unauthorized Use of Motor Vehicle; one count of Persistent Felony Offender in the Second Degree for a prior felony conviction in 2023.

Cases Dismissed by the Grand Jury:

• Shirley Black, no witness;
• Kevin Giles, request of witness;
• Charles Miller, no witness;
• Rickie Slusher, no witness;
• Christian Smith, no witness;
• Joseph Wagers, no witness.

Cases Continued by the Grand Jury to be heard July 21 and returned July 25, 2025:

• Derek Robinson
• Randy Asher
• Regina Jones
• Rickey Becker
• George Jesse
• Joshua Davis
• Daisy Allen
• David Hall
• James Helton
• Nathaniel Eidson.