PERRY GRAND GRAND JUROR ACCUSED OF OFFERING INFORMATION FOR DRUGS

HAZARD, Ky.(AP) - A Perry County grand juror has been charged with
attempting to trade confidential information about cases police presented
to a panel in exchange for prescription pills.

Scott Shepherd, 32, of Big Creek, was charged with receiving a bribe,
official misconduct and misuse of confidential information, Perry County
Commonwealth's Attorney John Hansen said.

Kentucky State Police Detective Dan Smoot said investigators raiding a
Hazard residence found a note allegedly written by Shepherd.

The note allegedly offered to provide, in exchange for controlled
substances, a list of cases that police presented to the grand jury, Smoot
said.

The list contained, "in the exact order," the cases, names of suspects and
amount of drugs purchased by investigators, Smoot said.

Shepherd was arrested Friday.

The person with whom Shepherd allegedly made the trade has not been
arrested, but the investigation is continuing, Smoot said.

Hansen said Shepherd was chosen for grand jury service in February. He will
be replaced by an alternate, Hansen said.

Shepherd was released from the Perry County jail on Monday after posting a
$25,000 cash bond, a deputy jailer said.

Shepherd, a driver for a county-operated ambulance service, is at least the
third public employee in the Eastern Kentucky county to be charged with a
crime recently.

Arrested earlier were Calvin Sizemore, an evidence officer for the Hazard
Police Department, and Frank Smith, a Perry County sheriff's deputy.

Sizemore's trafficking and theft charges in state court have been dropped,
but federal charges are pending, officials said.

A Letcher County grand jury indicted Smith, who is accused of receiving
personal payment for the services of the Perry County sheriff's office's
drug dog.