A traffic stop, attack blew up plan to sell drugs on UK's campus. Frat brothers face prison.

Three Lexington men are scheduled to be sentenced Friday in a complex case involving University of Kentucky fraternity brothers, a traffic stop in Kansas, an unlawful imprisonment and a conspiracy to transport 18 pounds of marijuana from Colorado to Lexington to sell on campus.

John "Porky" Cooper, 37, Zachary Costin, 22, and Ethan Hatfield, 21, pleaded guilty this spring to amended charges in connection with an assault, theft and holding a man against his will at a $2.5 million house near Hartland Estates, and then releasing him naked.

Costin and Andrew Ward, 22, the fourth defendant, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to trafficking marijuana. Ward's sentencing is scheduled for May 18 before Fayette Circuit Judge Thomas Travis.

Court records say that on Feb. 18, 2017, Ward and Costin traveled to Canon City, Colo., and purchased about 18 pounds of marijuana at $1,200 per pound for the purpose of reselling the pot for profit on the University of Kentucky campus. (A court document said Costin and Hatfield were Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity brothers at UK, although Hatfield at the time was taking a semester off as he recovered from a broken right leg.)

Ward and Costin then hired Jeff Zheng to transport the marijuana purchased in Colorado back to Lexington.

Later on Feb. 18, 2017, while en route to Kentucky, Zheng was stopped for speeding by an officer with the Kansas Highway Patrol, who in turn informed Lexington narcotics detectives about the marijuana.

Lexington and Kansas police agreed that Kansas authorities would seize the narcotics and allow Zheng to continue to Lexington to continue the investigation into other suspects involved in drug trafficking. (Lexington police later learned this was Zheng's third trip to Colorado to transport marijuana for Costin and Ward, according to a police narrative filed in court.)

While in Lexington, Zheng told Costin, Hatfield and Ward about being stopped in Kansas and that he was working with Lexington police.

On Feb. 28, 2017, Costin asked Zheng to come to Hatfield's house on McAtee Lane in Lexington, according to court records. The house owner is listed as a limited liability corporation that was led by Rodney B. Hatfield, who is also tied to the Hatfield Chevrolet New Circle Road address, according to public local and state land and business records.

At the house, Zheng was led to the basement where Hatfield, Costin and Cooper made him take off his clothes and snort a Xanax pill, according to court records.

During the next two hours, Hatfield, Costin and Cooper held Zheng against his will and tortured him with a hammer, pliers and an AR-15 gun stock, according to court documents. Zheng also told police that the suspects pointed handguns and a shotgun at him. Cooper introduced himself to Zheng as the "person hired to kill you." Zheng also said the three took photos of him and sent them via text to other people.

Fearing for his life, Zheng falsely told the suspects that he took the marijuana. They agreed to let him go but said that he would owe them $45,000, court records say. The suspects then made him take a shower and allowed him to leave the house unclothed, but kept his watch, wallet and cell phone. After he was released, Zheng went to the police.

At some point during the investigation, a search by Colorado detectives in Canon City, Colo., led to the seizure of a large amount of marijuana, hashish, U.S. currency and documents related to Costin, according to an affidavit filed in Fayette Circuit Court.

Cooper, Costin and Hatfield were indicted in April 2017 on charges of kidnapping, robbery and assault. Costin and Ward were also indicted on a charge of criminal conspiracy to traffic in more than five pounds of marijuana.

Cooper, Costin and Hatfield pleaded guilty to amended charges of unlawful imprisonment, theft by unlawful taking and misdemeanor assault. Costin and Ward also pleaded guilty to an amended charge of conspiracy to traffic 8 ounces to 5 pounds of marijuana.

According to plea agreements, prosecutors recommended five-year sentences on the theft charges and one-year sentences on the unlawful imprisonment and misdemeanor assault charges.

Prosecutors recommended a two-year sentence for Ward and Costin on the amended charges of conspiracy to traffic 8 ounces to 5 pounds of marijuana.

This story was originally published May 9, 2018 at 6:39 PM with the headline "A traffic stop, attack blew up plan to sell drugs on UK's campus. Frat brothers face prison.."