A federal grand jury for the Eastern District of Kentucky in London charged three men, including a Breathitt County man, with conspiracy to sell more than 40 grams of fentanyl in two eastern Kentucky Counties.
Jared Joseph Lovins, 28, of Breathitt, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute 40 grams of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and one count of aiding and abetting others to commit a federal crime.
The indictment was filed on November 21, 2025, and was recently released.
Also charged were Earl Hall, 55, and Joshua “Red” Hall, 26, who have Breathitt County connections.
According to the indictment, Lovins and the Halls engaged in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of fentanyl beginning in February 2025 and operated through October 24, 2025, “in Breathitt and Perry County, in the Eastern District, and elsewhere.”
The charges indicate that the trio conspired “together and with others to knowingly and intentionally distribute 40 grams or a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount” of the highly deadly drug.
The five-count indictment handed down by the grand jury also charged Joshua and Earl Hall with selling fentanyl in Breathitt County on various dates, including May 1, 2025, July 1, 2025, and August 26, 2025.
All three were charged with one additional count alleging that they “aided and abetted” each other after they possessed the drug with the intent to distribute it in violation of federal law.
According to the indictment, the charges carry significant penalties, including potential imprisonment for up to 40 years and fines of up to $5,000,000 for three of the five counts.
The remaining two counts could result in imprisonment for up to 20 years and fines of up to $1,000,000 each, if the accused are convicted.
Earl Hall was arrested on December 16 by United States Marshals and lodged in the Laurel County Detention Center.
Lovins was arrested by agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency on December 9 and lodged in the Laurel County Detention Center. He was ordered held without bond pending his first court appearance.
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration estimates that 2 milligrams of fentanyl is a lethal dose for most Americans. The indictment alleges that the trio distributed more than 40,000 milligrams of the substance in the area between February and October of this year.
In 2023, an estimated 72,776 Americans died from overdose deaths connected to fentanyl.
No court date has been announced for the trio.
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