Federal Grand Jury Indicts Two Men for Conspiracy to Traffic Heroin, Fentanyl, and Cocaine

Louisville, KY - A federal grand jury in Louisville returned an indictment on April 17, 2024, charging two Louisville men with conspiracy to traffic heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine.

U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.

According to the indictment, Brent Goldsberry, 40, and Marcus McGinnis, 33, were charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances that included heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine. These offenses occurred between January 18, 2024, and April 10, 2024.

McGinnis made his initial court appearance this week before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The Court ordered McGinnis detained pending trial. Goldsberry is currently in state custody and has not been scheduled for an initial court appearance yet. If convicted, Goldsberry and McGinnis each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

There is no parole in the federal system.

This case is being investigated by the ATF and LMPD.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Lantz is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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