Indictments 4/5/24

The following indictments were returned by the Grand Jury of the Carter Circuit Court on April 5, 2024. 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. 

• Tyler Ratcliff, 20, of Willard, on or about March 5, 2024, committed the offenses of trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, by knowingly and unlawfully trafficking in Carfentanil or Fentanyl derivatives, a Class C Felony; trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, by knowingly and unlawfully trafficking in a schedule one or schedule two narcotic (drug unspecified) by selling or possessing with intent to sell 10 or more dosage units, a Class C Felony; possession of drug paraphernalia, when he unlawfully possessed drug paraphernalia with the intent to use it for the purpose of introducing into the human body an illegal or controlled substance, a Class A Misdemeanor; and public intoxication, when he appeared in a public place manifestly under the influence of a controlled substance, or other intoxicating substance, excluding alcohol, to the degree that he may endanger himself or other persons or property, or unreasonably annoy persons in his vicinity, a Class B Misdemeanor. 
• Ontario Croskey, 22, of Oakland, MI, on or about February 28, 2024, committed the offenses of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, a Class D Felony; possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, when he possessed methamphetamine, a schedule two narcotic, a Class D Felony; and tampering with physical evidence, by concealing evidence which he believed would be in an official proceeding, a Class D Felony. 
• Billy Vallandingham, 35, of Grayson, on or about January 22, 2024, committed the offenses of public intoxication, when he appeared in a public place manifestly under the influence of a controlled substance, or other intoxicating substance, excluding alcohol, to the degree he may endanger himself or other persons or property, or unreasonably annoy persons in his vicinity, a Class B Misdemeanor; and theft by unlawful taking, over $10,000 but less than $1,000,000, by taking a skid steer with intent to permanently deprive the owner of their property with stealing copper wiring from buildings, a Class C Felony. 
• Tristan Mitchell, 28, of Olive Hill, on or about October 6, 2023, committed the offenses of assault in the second degree, domestic violence, by intentionally striking another person, and causing them to suffer serious physical injury, a Class C Felony; wanton endangerment, first degree, by wantonly engaging in conduct which created a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury to another person, a Class D Felony; sodomy, first degree, domestic violence with serious physical injury, by having deviant sexual intercourse with another person by forcible compulsion, and causing serious physical injury, a Class A Felony; assault, fourth degree, child abuse, by intentionally causing physical injury to a minor child, a Class A Misdemeanor; intimidating a participant in the legal process, by threatening the victim, concerning his custody case, with physical harm, in an attempt to influence them to avoid court proceedings, a Class D Felony; strangulation, first degree, by intentionally impeding the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of another person, by applying pressure on their throat or neck or blocking their nose or mouth without consent, a Class C Felony; tampering with physical evidence by concealing evidence which he believed would be in an official proceeding, a Class D Felony; kidnapping-minor, by unlawfully restraining the minor child, to accomplish the commission of a felony, or to inflict bodily injury or to terrorize the victim or another, or to use as a shield or hostage, a Class B Felony; unlawful imprisonment, second degree, when he knowingly and unlawfully restrained another person, a Class A Misdemeanor; criminal mischief, first degree, by intentionally destroying the property of another, causing more than $1,000 damage, a Class D Felony; and criminal abuse in the first degree, victim 12 or under, by intentionally abusing a juvenile of whom he had custody, causing the juvenile serious physical injury, or placed them in a situation that may have caused them serious physical injury, or caused torture, cruel confinement, or cruel punishment, a Class B Felony.    
• Shandon Wiler, 26, of Grayson, on or about August, 2022, committed the offense of sodomy, first degree, by having deviant sexual intercourse with a minor female, by forcible compulsion, a Class B Felony; on or about June – September, 2022, committed the offenses of procuring or promoting the use of a minor by electronic means, by knowingly communicating with a minor child, via electronic means, to induce the minor child to engage in sexual or other prohibited activities, a Class D Felony; and sexual abuse, first degree, while being 21 years old or more, subjected a minor less than 16 years of age to sexual contact and being a person in a position of authority or position of special trust, as defined in KRS 532.045, he, regardless of his age, subjected a minor less than 18 years of age, with whom he comes into contact with as a result of that position, to sexual contact, a Class D Felony; and on or about April 1, 2023 through July 31, 2023, committed the offenses of six counts of sexual abuse, first degree, by having sexual contact with a minor female, each a Class D Felony.