LEXINGTON, Ky. — A former Pike County man who admitted to drug trafficking both in and out of jail will spend more than three decades in prison.

Samuel Charles Atkins, 52, pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl, possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and felon in possession of a firearm back in September.

Atkins was wanted on outstanding warrants in both Pike and Floyd counties, when he was found staying in a Madison County home in January of 2023. At the time of his arrest, he was found with four grams of fentanyl, 17 grams of meth and 16 guns, despite having been previously convicted of drug trafficking in both Pike and Rowan counties.

But his trouble didn’t end when he got to jail, as two days later, he admitted to providing fentanyl to four inmates who suffered non-fatal overdoses. Guards found more than 2.5 ounces of fentanyl inside a glove near his bunk.

Last week, a federal judge in Lexington sentenced Atkins to 33 years in prison. He is currently being held in the Grayson County jail, awaiting transfer to the federal prison system.