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Contact: Randy Scoggins, 423-569-9778 Contact: Matt Hudson, 423-346-6294
Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area rangers discovered that, during the October 2013 U.S.Government shutdown, a National Park Service facility on the Kentucky side of the park had been burglarized with thousands of dollars of equipment stolen. During that same time period, Kentucky state facilities in the area had also been burglarized. Park Service rangers began joint investigation with the McCreary County Sheriff's Office, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Kentucky State Police. Several of the stolen items were found in a local pawn shop which ultimately led to the arrest of two suspects: Andy L. Anderson and Jeremy E. Coffey. The collaborative investigation resulted in Mr. Anderson confessing to his involvement in the crimes and accepting a plea deal with the State of Kentucky resulting in a sentence of 18 years in prison and five years of probation. Mr. Coffey eventually pled guilty and has been sentenced to a prison term of 15 years. Both individuals had an extensive criminal history which factored into their sentencing determination. |
Last updated: April 14, 2015