EKB News

{Kentucky}...U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove has sentenced former Williamsburg attorney 54 year old Ronnie Wayne Reynolds to 27 months for extortion under color of official right. Reynolds will also have to forfeit $199,500 after he admitted conspiring with then-Whitley County Sheriff Lawrence Hodge to extort money from people charged with drug crimes. Reynolds' plea agreement indicates he charged the three people a total of $257,000. The U.S. attorney's office says Reynolds admitted making cash payments of more than $57,000 to Hodge so Hodge would refer three individuals charged with crimes to Reynolds. Hodge pleaded guilty in May to his role in the extortion conspiracy and to a drug and money laundering conspiracy and agreed to a 15 1/2-year sentence. He is to be sentenced later.