Louisville Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Methamphetamine

Louisville, KY - A Louisville man was sentenced on June 2, 2026, for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute it.

U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division made the announcement.

According to court documents, Daryl Horton, 24, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute it.

Horton's conviction stems from his selling 431.1 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on May 20, 2024. The methamphetamine transaction was audio and video recorded. The methamphetamine was tested at the DEA laboratory, where it was confirmed to be methamphetamine.

As a juvenile, Horton was charged with murder. His juvenile case was transferred to Jefferson Circuit Court for Horton to be prosecuted as an adult. On June 29, 2021, Horton pled guilty to reckless homicide in Jefferson Circuit Court. He was sentenced to 3 years in prison. Immediately upon being released, he committed an act of domestic violence and, subsequently, pled guilty to harassment with physical contact. Thereafter, Horton committed the offense of receiving stolen property. He continued his life of crime by engaging in significant drug trafficking for which he received this 10-year sentence.

United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated, "Law enforcement is dedicated to pursuing criminals that traffic in dangerous narcotics. Hopefully, Horton's significant sentence will serve as a deterrent to other like-minded drug dealers that the days of selling dangerous drugs without significant consequences are over. Importantly for Louisville, a dangerous criminal who has proven that he is determined to be a career criminal has been removed from society for a decade."

Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Horbert stated, "The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) remain committed to prioritizing investigations that hold individuals accountable who pose a threat to public safety and the communities we serve. The defendant in this case is no exception. As a direct result of the partnership with the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department (LMPD) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Daryl Horton will now spend ten years in federal prison."

There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the ATF and the Louisville Metro Police Department, with assistance from the DEA Louisville Field Division.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Erwin Roberts prosecuted the case.

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 Louisville comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, ATF, and IRS, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Kentucky.