KY man with ‘torture chamber’ on his property pleads guilty to federal charges
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Man pleaded guilty to federal meth and firearm charges; judge not yet accepted.
- DEA found 73 guns, four homemade silencers, ~8 kg meth, ~6,000 pills, a bone
- Faces 10 years–life and 5 years–life consecutively (15 years–life total), $10,250,000 max
A Kentucky man who prosecutors say had a “torture chamber” in his Laurel County home pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges, according to court records.
Scottie Shelton, 54, was charged with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, firearm possession in furtherance of drug trafficking and possession of an unregistered, destructive device. Court documents say his guilty plea deal dropped the possession of an unregistered, destructive device and found him guilty of the other two counts.
U.S. District Judge Robert Wier has not yet accepted Shelton’s guilty plea to the methamphetamine possession and firearm possession charges. U.S. Magistrate Judge Hanly A. Ingram recommended Wier accept them. Only district judges can accept guilty plea deals.
Only U.S. district judges can accept guilty plea deals. Wier has not yet accepted the deal, and a sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.
Shelton faces between 10 years and life in prison for the methamphetamine possession, and between five years and life in prison for the firearm offense, according to court documents. Sentences for those counts would run consecutively.
Shelton could also be fined a maximum $10.2 million, according to court documents.
A sentencing hearing has not been set.
Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration visited Shelton’s property on Southern Oakes Road in Laurel County on Aug. 12. Court documents say Shelton permitted officers to search the property, on which they found a “cell-like room” that appeared to be a torture chamber.
There is no evidence the room was used to torture anyone, court documents say. However, an informant told local authorities and DEA agents they received photos from Shelton of a woman restrained inside the room around 2020.
Additional searches of Shelton’s property uncovered guns, drugs, poached wildlife and a human bone. Investigators found 73 loaded guns, thousands of rounds of ammunition, four homemade silencers, two ballistic vests and a destructive device described as a live 12-gauge shotgun shell concealed in a section of galvanized pipe, according to court documents.
DEA Task Force Officer Jason Snelling testified Shelton had about 8 kilograms of methamphetamine he had been using or distributing, most of which was buried underground, according to court documents. About 6,000 pills of suspected oxycodone were also found on his property, along with drug paraphernalia.
The perimeter of the metal shed where the evidence was found was protected with alarms and several booby traps armed with shotgun shells, according to court documents.
