A former resident of Grayson and Breckridge counties nabbed during an attempted motorcycle theft while in possession of a cache of drugs has been served with indictment warrants.
Jeremy R. Payment, 45, was served with indictment warrants out of Grayson County charging him with three counts of trafficking in a controlled substance (methamphetamine, opiates, drug unspecified), theft by unlawful taking (automobile, over $500 but less than $10,000), possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, persistent felony offender, possession of prescription controlled substance not in proper container, first-degree wanton endangerment, identity theft, promoting contraband, first-degree criminal mischief, trafficking in marijuana, possession of marijuana, and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Most of the charges arose after Payment, in November 2020, attempted to steal a motorcycle from a Lilac Road residence.
On Saturday night, November 28, 2020, at approximately 11:15, then-Grayson County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Zane Greer and then-Deputy Rick Mehlbauer responded to what was originally called in to Central Dispatch as a motorcycle crash in the 3400 of Lilac Road. Upon arriving at the scene, though, law enforcement learned two men had attempted to steal a Kawasaki Ninja from a residence.
A witness told Greer and Mehlbauer that as he was traveling on Lilac Road he observed what he thought was a motorcycle crash. When the witness stopped to ask if he could help, the man with the motorcycle, Payment, told the witness a friend was coming to pick him up.
Within a short time, Payment’s friend, 33-year-old Aaron S. Breeden, of Shepherdsville (formerly of Breckinridge Co.), arrived in a Ford F150 truck, picked up Payment and the two men left the area without the motorcycle, which, according to police, Payment twice crashed as he was pushing it from the residence.
Greer then informed the Leitchfield Police Department to be on the lookout for dark colored Ford F150 truck containing two men. LDP Sgt. DJ Newton responded that he had just observed a dark colored Ford F150 truck at FiveStar Food Mart, at the intersection of South Main Street and West White Oak Street.
Police converged on the area, with Newton spotting the truck traveling north on North Main Street. He executed a traffic stop in the 200 block of North Main just as Greer, Mehlbauer, LPD Sgt. Keith Harrell and then-Officer Chance Anthony arrived on the scene.
Upon approaching the vehicle, a strong odor of marijuana was detected, as police detained the suspects and searched the truck. During that search, authorities found a firearm, over nine grams of methamphetamine, over a dozen hydrocodone pills, marijuana, syringes, and scales.
While being questioned, Payment, a felon, admitted that the drugs, handgun and drug paraphernalia were his.
Authorities also located a ramp, allegedly intended to aid in loading the motorcycle onto the back of the truck.
Payment was arrested and charged with two counts of trafficking in a controlled substance (meth, opiates), two counts of possession of a controlled substance (meth, opiates), having a prescription controlled substance not in its proper container, trafficking in marijuana, theft by unlawful taking, criminal mischief, DUI, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.
Payment’s drug charges were enhanced by the presence of the handgun.
Breeden, also a felon, was arrested and charged with his second DUI (aggravating circumstances) and driving on a suspended/revoked license.
In a separate incident, in early April 2021, while Payment was lodged in the Grayson County Detention Center, his girlfriend, 52-year-old Tiffany M. Jenkins, allegedly mailed multiple suboxone strips to Payment at the detention center with the intent of selling the drug to other inmates. The suboxone, though, was intercepted by jail staff before reaching Payment.
Payment and Jenkins were charged with first-degree wanton endangerment, promoting contraband, trafficking in a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Payment has a lengthy criminal record, according to the Kentucky Department of Corrections, as he was convicted in Grayson County in 2013 for manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), complicity to criminal possession of a forged instrument, and complicity to theft by deception.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
