Breathitt County Jury Hands Down 20-Year Sentence to Convicted Drug Dealer

A Breathitt County jury has sentenced James Cockerham to 20 years in prison after he entered an open guilty plea to multiple charges, including Trafficking in a Controlled Substance 1st Degree (more than 2 grams of methamphetamine), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Possession of a Handgun by a Convicted Felon.

Troopers Matt Day and Cory Smoot testified about the investigation that led to Cockerham’s arrest. His charges originated from a Breathitt County Grand Jury indictment issued on October 5, 2023.

Commonwealth Attorney Miranda Stevens King praised the jury’s decision, saying, “This jury has sent a strong message to drug traffickers — zero tolerance.”

The case was investigated by Trooper Matt Day with Kentucky State Police DESI and Trooper Cory Smoot with KSP Post 13 in Hazard. The prosecution was led by Assistant Commonwealth Attorneys Amanda Hampton and Gracie Hall, with support from Sgt. Brandon Eversole (KSP DESI), Commonwealth Attorney Miranda King, and Commonwealth Detective Steve Thomas.

Formal sentencing is scheduled for December 19, 2025, in Breathitt Circuit Court.

This report was compiled using information gathered from law enforcement statements, official press releases, Breathitt Advocate and publicly available news sources.

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