KY mayor says critics are part of a ‘pedo clan,' demands lawsuits against him be dropped
An unusual scene unfolded Thursday afternoon in Laurel County, as London Mayor Randall Weddle hosted a news conference to double down on claims that several of his critics in the city are part of an organized group of pedophiles.
Those critics have filed two separate lawsuits against Weddle for defamation this month because of the mayor's accusations, but Weddle insisted Thursday he has proof they're true.
'I have been standing here for four years, trying to fight a corrupt system down here that has been controlled by a pedo clan,' Weddle said.
The public fight began late last year when three residents — brothers John and James Phelps, and Elijah Jarvis — were critical of the city after police shot and killed 63-year-old Doug Harless while trying to serve a warrant for stolen property. A mix-up in housing numbers in the rural area led police to the home of Harless, even though he was not listed as a suspect in the investigation.
Weddle was then a guest this month on a since-deleted episode of the podcast 'True Crimecast,' where he accused the Phelps brothers of sex trafficking, drug dealing and murder, according to a defamation lawsuit filed Feb. 14 by the brothers.
Brothers John and James Phelps have never been charged with any of those crimes, court records show.
A third brother, Doug Phelps, was a school administrator before pleading guilty to possession of child pornography and tampering with a witness in 2013.
He was sentenced to three years in prison, but he was pardoned by former Gov. Matt Bevin in December 2019.
Weddle made similar accusations about pedophilia during the podcast episode against Jarvis, who also has not been charged with any crimes.
John and James Phelps sued Weddle and the city of London, and Jarvis sued Weddle and the podcast hosts Feb. 21.
Branden Voelker, the lawyer for all three men, said the statements are '100% false.'
Weddle claimed Voelker was critical of the city in videos posted to the social media platform TikTok. Voelker said he has never posted on the platform.
'Anyone who continues to defame my clients, we will seek redress for that defamatory and reckless conduct,' Voelker told the Herald-Leader Thursday evening. 'I look forward to asking (Weddle) questions under oath to ascertain all the facts that he believes and asserts his claims — based on what he placed in his conference today — that he believes what he is saying is truthful.'
Weddle and his personal lawyer, Jeremy Bryant, brought hundreds of pages of documents they claim prove the mayor's critics are part of 'deep corruption' in the town of about 7,600 residents.
Bryant and Weddle passed out massive stacks of interview transcripts, police investigation files, emails, texts and photos they claim outline the trio's crimes.
Kentucky State Police did not immediately respond to a request for information about the accusations Thursday.
The plaintiffs in both lawsuits claim Weddle made public and defamatory statements about them.
John and James Phelps, both former Kentucky State troopers, claim Weddle's accusations are false and intended to damage their reputation.
In addition to claiming the mayor's accusations are false, Jarvis notes in his lawsuit that last month, county 911 officials tampered with a package of records he requested about last year's police shooting, and that Jarvis was removed from a heated city council meeting in early February.
Weddle, 43, was elected in 2022 to serve a four year term.
On Thursday, the mayor's lawyer gave the defamation plaintiffs an ultimatum: Drop the lawsuits by 5 p.m. Friday, or the mayor will line Main Street in London with alleged victims and their supporters.
'If this case is still pending past 5 p.m. tomorrow, we are going down that rabbit hole,' Bryant said. 'And we are going to find everything that is in it.'
Voelker said his clients have no plans to dismiss the suits.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Written threat' at Lockport High School determined to be non-credible
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Lockport City School District says a 'written threat' that caused students and staff to evacuate on Friday afternoon was determined to be non-credible. No safety concerns were found, the district said. Lockport High School was evacuated shortly before dismissal Friday following a written threat found in one of the classrooms, according to Lockport City School District Superintendent Mathis Calvin III. The threat was written on a piece of paper and found on the floor just after 2 p.m. Staff brought the note to administrators. Both staff and students were evacuated to the Kenan Center down the street out of an abundance of caution. 'The Lockport City School District takes and treats issues such as this very seriously,' Calvin said. 'Every incident is fully investigated and we will follow and use our code of conduct when addressing situations such as this manner.' A full sweep of the school took place, as well as an investigation. Students were sent home and after school activities were canceled for the rest of the day. Calvin says all Lockport schools will reopen on Monday with an increased police presence on-site. The written threat comes just two days after a high school student made a similar non credible threat on TikTok, but Calvin says the two incidents do not seem related. Kayleigh Hunter-Gasperini joined the News 4 team in 2024 as a Digital Video Producer. She is a graduate of Chatham University. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
I've lost everything, says Romanian wrongly arrested for Ballymena attempted rape
A Romanian in Ballymena has claimed he has 'lost everything' after he was wrongly arrested for the attempted rape of a schoolgirl. He spoke after riots broke out in the Northern Ireland town following the appearance in court of two 14-year-old boys charged with attempted rape and who required a Romanian interpreter. The father-of-two, named Alex, wrote on social media how his home and car were attacked by anti-immigrant rioters while he was in custody, according to the MailOnline. The 28-year-old also said rioters returned to the property even after he was freed from custody without charge. Alex said he and his wife had been forced into hiding, while his mother had taken his two daughters to Romania out of fear for their safety in Ballymena. In a Facebook post translated from Romanian, the father wrote: 'I have lost everything because of false accusations. 'I lost my house where I lived, my car, all my belongings. 'But the biggest regret is that I lost the chance to offer my children a better future. And all this without having done anything wrong.' The Romanian national went on to say: 'My family and I are not guilty, we all came for a better life, no one wants problems, we are modest people, people who fear God.' Houses have been set alight and bricks, fireworks and petrol bombs have been thrown during scenes of disorder in Ballymena over recent days. Residents previously told The Telegraph of long-running tensions with the Roma community – which came to a head following the boys' court appearance. The scenes have been so frightening to some residents, non-Roma immigrants have resorted to putting up signs confirming their nationality, such as 'Filipino lives here'. Credit: TikTok Meanwhile, others even displayed the King's Coronation memorabilia and crockery featuring Queen Elizabeth II, in a bid to deter thugs hunting for migrants. On Thursday, three teenagers were charged with riot in relation to the disorder, with the youngest, 15, also charged with criminal damage. In total, 15 people have been arrested and 41 police officers injured during the unrest, which was sparked by the alleged sexual assault of the girl. In his Facebook post, Alex, who is also active on TikTok, also apologised if he had offended anyone in Northern Ireland with 'boastful' posts he had published on the social media platform. In one TikTok reel that emerged after riots began in Ballymena he was shown blowing kisses to the camera before waving a giant wodge of cash outside the town's courthouse following an unrelated matter involving a family member. Critics claimed it was then shared by one of his relatives who made provocative comments. In another social media message, after his Audi was attacked, Alex wrote in Romanian: 'Plenty more fish [in the sea]' over a picture of the smashed-up luxury vehicle on his drive. He wrote: 'I admit I am 'boastful'. That is my character and I apologise if I upset anyone. It was not my intention.' In a statement that did not name the man, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said: 'A 28-year-old man was arrested on Monday June 9. 'He has been unconditionally released from police custody following questioning.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Apopka children, lawmakers seek return of Guatemalan immigrants seeking visa
The children of two Guatemalan immigrants called Friday for their parents' return, after their father was deported and their mother detained despite their years-long pursuit of a visa meant to protect victims of crime. Dozens of people, including Central Florida lawmakers and activists, gathered outside the ICE field office in Orlando to speak to reporters on the plight of Esvin Juarez and Rosmeri Miranda. The couple have lived in the United States for 24 years, settling in Apopka with their four children. It is the latest controversy in the Orlando region involving the apprehension of immigrants who — though they entered the country illegally — would previously have been considered to have an opportunity to stay in the U.S. Juarez, who owns a concrete construction business, was detained on May 30 during a check-in with ICE, sent to facilities in Miami and Texas — and then deported to Guatemala on Saturday. Miranda was detained this week. 'He's been here over 20 years, and he's been working out under the sun making concrete slabs, and he's been able to build his business for the last 20 years,' said Beverly Juarez, 21, the couple's oldest child. 'There is a chance for [President Donald Trump] to right this wrong, to bring back my father and to stop my mother's deportation because they are not criminals. They are pillars of the community.' Beverly Juarez, who like her younger siblings was born in the U.S., said her parents were well along in the process of getting a so-called U-visa after her father was attacked in his company work yard by a gunman in 2021. That visa grants victims of crime legal status if they cooperate with law enforcement. Juarez unsuccessfully challenged his removal in federal court, court records show, while Miranda continues to dispute her detention since being taken into custody this week. Her case is being considered by the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Among the lawmakers standing with the family on Friday was state Rep. Johanna Lopez, D-Orlando, who called Juarez's and Miranda's detentions an illegal 'act of cruelty' given their eligibility for the U-visa. With their parents gone, Beverly Juarez now faces having to care for her siblings, ages 15, 13 and 9. 'Imagine the fear they feel, imagine the trauma they are enduring,' Lopez said. 'What message are we sending when we criminalize the mother surviving and seeking justice?' Before Miranda's detention, she and her four children turned to social media to raise awareness of ICE's efforts to deport her and her husband. Since June 2, the family has posted videos to TikTok with updates in English and Spanish on both cases. The most recent videos directly implored Trump to act despite his emphasis on removing undocumented immigrants in the first months of his second administration. While White House officials say they are focused on deporting criminals and immigrants with ties to gang ties, many who have since been detained and deported don't have such histories. An ICE spokesperson did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. A lawyer for Juarez who now represents Miranda in federal court also did not return a message. It's not impossible for immigrants mistakenly detained for removal to be released. On Thursday, lawyers for two women living in Osceola County announced they were released from ICE custody after spending two months in a facility in Texas facing removal to Colombia — despite having an active asylum application, social security number, work permit and driver's license. Across the country, ICE officials have conducted operations to capture immigrants and process them for removal. In Florida, local law enforcement agencies and county jails have signed agreements known as 287(g) to assist immigration authorities, which a new state law now requires. Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration has said local leaders who refuse could be removed from office. County Commissioner Nicole Wilson, who attended the protest, was one of two 'no' votes when Orange commissioners approved the agreement in March. 'We were told we had to do it. Several of my colleagues believed that they had to do it — they've been bullied to do it,' Wilson said. 'If I don't believe it's representing my community, then it's not an agreement — so I do not agree, I am not complicit.' The other dissenting vote was Commissioner Kelly Martinez-Semrad, who at Friday's protest said she is pushing to put the matter back on the agenda. 'There are those of us who are not afraid to be removed when we're holding the flag of the United States of America and standing with the founders of our country, who are all immigrants,' she said. 'So please stand with us.'
