Indictments issued for murder and human trafficking: Reynolds indicted on murder solicitation, Rose on human trafficking

By: Jeremy D. Wells

 The Carter Circuit Court has issued an indictment in the Billy Reynolds murder for hire plot. Reynolds, age 41 of Olive Hill was arrested on January 28 by Kentucky State Police officers, from Ashland Post 14, two weeks after the state police received a tip, on January 15, that Reynolds “had contacted an individual in regard to a murder for hire plot against his mother.” 

The indictment, returned on March 5, alleges that “on or about January 14 through January 26, 2021, the above named defendant committed the offense of Solicitation of Murder, by commanding or encouraging another person to engage in specific conduct which would constitute the crime of the murder of Ruth Reynolds (his mother) or the attempt thereof, with the intention of promoting or facilitating the commission of that crime.” The count is a Class B Felony.

The court also issued an indictment on several charges related to human trafficking of victims under the age of 18. Gregory Keith Rose, 57, of Olive Hill, is alleged to have engaged in the activity between October 2019 and November of 2020, according to his indictment. Rose was arrested on the charges by the Grayson Police Department and booked into the Carter County Detention Center on January 8. 

Rose’s charges include Promoting Human Trafficking of a victim under 18 years of age “by intentionally benefiting financially or receiving anything of value from knowing participation in human trafficking; or recruiting, enticing, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining by any means, or attempting to recruit, entice, harbor, transport, provide, or obtain by any means, another person, knowing that the person will be subject to human trafficking.” This type of human trafficking is a Class C Felony. 

Rose was also indicted on charges of unlawfully using “electronic means… to induce a minor to engage in sexual or other prohibited activities,” a Class D Felony; and twenty (20) counts of solicitation of prostitution, each a Class B Misdemeanor. 

The following indictments were also returned by the Grand Jury of the Carter Circuit Court on March 5, 2021. An indictment is not a determination of guilt or innocence. It is simply a charge that an offense has been committed and indicates that a case is pending on the charges listed. All defendants have the presumption of innocence until found guilty in a court of law. 

Though it is a part of the public record, the Carter County Times does not make a habit of printing the names of minor children or the victims of alleged crimes, except under exceptional circumstances. 

Daniel Edward Arthur, 38, of Grayson, on or about January 11, 2021, the defendant committed the offenses of assault in the second degree, by intentionally assaulting a person, causing them to suffer serious physical injury, a Class C Felony; criminal mischief second degree, by wantonly damaging property or tampering with property, causing a loss of $500 or more, a Class A Misdemeanor. 

Mark Mullins, 50, of Webbville, on or about December 9, 2020, the defendant committed the offenses of promoting contraband in the first degree by knowingly and unlawfully introducing or possessing dangerous contraband into the Carter County Detention Center, a Class D Felony; six individual counts of wanton endangerment, first degree – police officer, by wantonly engaging in conduct which created substantial danger of death or serious physical injury to another, all Class D Felonies.

Richard Clay Waggoner, 19, of Grayson, on or about January 5, 2021, the defendant committed the offenses of trafficking in a controlled substance, third degree, 120 dosage units or more, by knowingly and unlawfully trafficking in a controlled substance classified as a schedule IV or schedule V drug, a Class D Felony; trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, opiates, over 10 dosage units, by possessing with intent to sell 10 dosage unites of a schedule I or schedule II controlled substance, a Class C Felony; aggravated trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, Fentanyl, by possessing with intent to sell 28 grams or more of Fentanyl, a Class B Felony. 

Dustin R. Whitaker, 27, of Grayson, on or about November 26, 2020, the defendant committed the offense of trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, drug unspecified, by knowingly and unlawfully trafficking in a schedule I or schedule II controlled substance, possessing with intent to sell 10 dosage units, a Class C Felony.