Drug charges filed against local man

Thursday, September 15, 2011

The Bourbon County Attorney's Office filed a criminal complaint Wednesday in Bourbon County District Court against Kenneth Ray Springston, a news release said.

Bourbon County Attorney Terri Johnson's office charged Springston, 30, with sale or distribution of opiates, opium, narcotic drugs or stimulants; unlawfully arranging sales or purchases of controlled substances using a communication facility; and no tax stamp.

The charges come as a result of an ongoing joint investigation by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Bourbon County Sheriff's Office and the Fort Scott Police Department, the release said.

Although the defendant has been charged with the crimes, they are "merely an accusation," and the defendant is "presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty," the release said. Springston is currently being held in the Southeast Kansas Regional Correctional Facility.