Kentucky man sentenced for role in Brown County inmate's death

A Vanceburg, Ky. man has been sentenced to at least five years in prison for involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of a Brown County Jail inmate last November.

As previously reported by the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, Monte Wisecup, 35, was indicted in February on four counts, including illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto the grounds of a specified governmental facility, a third-degree felony; corrupting another with drugs, a second-degree felony; trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound, a fifth-degree felony; and involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony.

The BCSO reported that on Nov. 19, 2022 at approximately 1:30 a.m., an inmate who was being held in the Brown County Jail contacted Corrections staff to advise that his cell mate was suffering a medical emergency. Corrections Officers and Patrol Deputies responded to the cell and initiated immediate life-saving measures. Corrections staff also requested emergency medical response.

The inmate was transported to Mount Orab Mercy, where he was pronounced deceased, the BCSO said. The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office determined the cause of death to be a narcotics overdose.

The indictment against Wisecup alleged that he “did cause the death” of the inmate, and “such death was the proximate result of Wisecup committing or attempting to commit” any or all of the three other drug-related charges.

According to Brown County Common Pleas Court records, Wisecup pleaded guilty to the involuntary manslaughter charge May 19, with the other three charges dismissed.

Judge Scott Gusweiler sentenced Wisecup to a minimum of five years in prison, with a maximum of seven and a half years, under the Reagan Tokes Law. Wisecup had jail time credit of 96 days.