Man accused of stashing large amount of illegal drugs at his Pike County residence

PIKE COUNTY, Ky. (FOX 56) — A Pike County man was arrested late Thursday night when troopers with Kentucky State Police found over 23 pounds of marijuana and other illegal drugs at a residence in the Hardy community.

According to an arrest citation, James Hardesty, 35, was arrested just before midnight on Sept. 18 in the drug investigation. During a search of his residence, troopers seized:

• 192 grams of suspected fentanyl
• Roughly 23.5 pounds of suspected marijuana
• 35 bottles containing 300 milligrams each of liquid THC
• 2,162 “THC edible dosage units”
• Six ounces of psilocybin mushrooms

In addition to the drugs, authorities said troopers also found 22 guns, drug paraphernalia, and about $1,500 in cash.

Hardesty was charged with:

• Trafficking in legend drugs – first offense
• Second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance – first offense
• Trafficking in fentanyl – first offense
• Trafficking in over five pounds of marijuana
• Trafficking in a controlled substance – more than 10 hallucinogens
• Possession of drug paraphernalia

He was lodged in the Pike County Jail on a $75,000 bond and is due in court at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 25, for a preliminary hearing.

The drug investigation remains ongoing. In a press release on Sunday, law enforcement officials encouraged the public to report suspected drug activity by sending an anonymous tip to KSP Post 9 at (606) 433-7711.