Impeached Kentucky prosecutor indicted on fraud, bribery charges in nude pictures case

A federal grand jury indicted a former elected Kentucky prosecutor on fraud and bribery charges after he was impeached for trading favors with a defendant in exchange for nude images of her.

Ronnie Goldy Jr., 51, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on six counts of honest services wire fraud, six counts of using an interstate communication to commit bribery and two counts of federal program bribery, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The indictment alleges that between November 2017 and November 2020, Goldy used his position as commonwealth’s attorney to solicit and accept sexual favors and sexually explicit images as bribes. In return, Goldy “made decisions in criminal cases that benefited this defendant and pressured other officials to do the same,” the U.S. attorney’s office said, such as seeking the defendant’s release from incarceration, asking for withdrawal of arrest warrants, requesting a court hearing be postponed and asking another prosecutor to sign an order to release the defendant’s impounded property.

Messages reveal murky exchanges between Goldy and woman

In 230 pages of messages from 2018 to 2020 obtained last year by The Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, Goldy told Misty Helton that if she sent him nude images, he would talk to judges about continuing her cases and setting aside warrants.

One such exchange occurred on Aug. 23, 2018, when Helton told Goldy a judge in Montgomery County was poised to jail her the next day for six months for failing to pay a fine. 

Goldy replied: “I’m still waiting on those videos remember lol. I can see what I can do. What time is court?” 

Over the three-year period, Helton was charged with nine misdemeanors and three felonies in Goldy's circuit for offenses such as identity theft, assault, writing bad checks and possession of a controlled substance.

Goldy impeached in historic Kentucky Senate trial

After the first impeachment trial on the floor of the Kentucky Senate in 135 years, Goldy was convicted in March on three articles of impeachment, barring him from holding elected office in the state.

The vote to convict Goldy was unanimous on all three articles, as was the vote to sustain the judgment that Goldy should be barred from holding a future office — with the trial and vote taking less than 30 minutes.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the probe into Goldy before the indictment, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. FBI spokesman Tim Beam confirmed Goldy was taken into custody Friday.

Louisville attorney Thomas Clay, who helped expose Goldy’s relationship with Helton, said that additional people may be under investigation. Another lawyer, Tim Denison, who has represented Goldy, did not respond to an email message Friday. 

Under the federal crime known as Honest Services fraud, it is a crime to misuse an individual's position or authority for personal gain or advantage.  

Goldy is being held in Woodford County Detention Center, according to jail records. He is scheduled for his initial appearance Monday, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.