LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- From a man who woke up as he was prepped for organ removal surgery to illegal immigrants paying for driver's licenses under the table, it was big year for WDRB investigations.
And that doesn't mention the trial of Brooks Houck, the culmination of a years-long investigation into the murder of Crystal Rogers.
Below is the list of the top 10 WDRB Investigates stories of 2025. Thanks for reading and watching along all year.
1. Former clerk says illegal immigrants paid $200 'under the table' for Ky. driver's licenses
A former clerk at a Kentucky driver's licensing branch said co-workers sold illegal immigrants driver's licenses they couldn't legally obtain, charging $200 per license.
Melissa Moorman claims the scheme happened four or five times a day for at least two years at multiple branches across the state. According to a whistleblower lawsuit, when Moorman alerted the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to the scam, she was fired.
"The employees were being paid under the table," Moorman told WDRB News. "I immediately let my supervisor know."
To read more, click here.
2. 7 indicted in Louisville for money laundering millions in drug money to Mexico
Seven people indicted for money laundering are accused of funneling millions of dollars to Mexico in a case involving drug trafficking, guns and a lot of cash.
It's what the Feds said happened inside three Louisville businesses that led to seven foreign nationals getting federally indicted for money laundering.
According to investigators, Jose Malagon Castro, 49, a citizen of Mexico, operates El Rey Market I on National Turnpike, El Rey Market II on Preston Highway and El Rey Market III on Dixie Highway.
Through those stores, the Feds said about $34.7 million was wire-transferred to several states in Mexico.
To read more, click here.
3. Brooks Houck owns 73 properties worth $13 million in Nelson County, records show
Brooks Houck owns nearly $13.5 million in property in Nelson County, assets that, after his conviction in the murder of his former girlfriend, Crystal Rogers, he attempted to sell off ahead of an impending civil lawsuit.
On July 17, the attorney representing Rogers' family, Gregory Smith, filed a motion in Nelson Circuit Court alleging that, following Houck's July 8 conviction, he made multiple jail phone calls, including one to his girlfriend, Crystal Maupin, saying "We'll try to figure out how we can sell this stuff."
The two discussed selling property and unfinished homes, according to the motion and transcripts of the phone calls.
To see a map of all the properties as well as their valuations, click here.
4. Illegal drug pipeline from California to Louisville busted by federal agents
A major drug trafficking operation that funneled meth, cocaine and fentanyl from California to Louisville through the U.S. Postal Service was dismantled by federal authorities.
According to an undercover by the Internal Revenue Service, following the money led investigators to Teyrin Johnson, a California man who has now been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison for meth trafficking and money laundering.
"We know that Mexican cartels are huge," said Kyle Brice, assistant special agent in charge for the Cincinnati Field Office of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, which includes Louisville. "So part of what we do is follow that money trying to make its way back to those organizations."
To read more, click here.
5. Kentucky officials accused of falsifying records to fail disabled police recruit
Chance Anthony grew up wanting to be in law enforcement, like his dad and brother before him, preparing at an early age by riding along with troopers and visiting the state police post in Elizabethtown.
Even though he was born without the portion of his right arm below the elbow, Anthony majored in criminal justice in college and moved closer to his goal when the city of Leitchfield hired him as a police recruit in 2019.
He then enrolled in the Department of Criminal Justice Training's academy in Richmond, where he won two awards for excellence and was told he had graduated. But when it came time for the graduation ceremony, Anthony's dream took a nightmarish turn: He said he was pulled aside and told by the head of the state training department that he had actually failed.
"There's no other reason in the world you wouldn't qualify me except for I don't look like what you want the typical officer to look like," Anthony said in an interview this week.
To read more, click here.
6. Kentucky withholds records of fraud investigation after drivers obtain licenses without a test
Years of delays implementing the new federal Real ID licenses have led to long lines at driver licensing regional offices, but amid the chaos, there's a sweeping fraud investigation in the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said he's aware of an "ongoing criminal investigation" into fraudulently and illegally issued IDs.
"There are serious concerns and we will hold anybody accountable if they violated the law," Beshear said in a brief interview outside his office.
While he didn't detail the root cause of the investigation, sources with direct knowledge of it said there's an audit within KYTC looking into how people got driver's licenses without taking the driving test.
A leaked revocation notice sent to a driver in Louisville this month says their license was "issued in error ... invalid and will be cancelled." The notification also tells the driver to return the license to a regional office, adding "If you do not comply with this request legal action will be taken and you could be charged."
To read more, click here.
7. Louisville woman fought DUI case for 14 months after 0.0 Breathalyzer test
Cuqita Boyd got into a minor car wreck while driving to work in January 2022, then was charged with driving under the influence after an officer claimed she didn't follow directions during a field sobriety test.
But Boyd was adamant she hadn't been drinking and asked to be given a Breathalyzer test on the side of the road to prove it so she wouldn't be late for her job as a U.S. postal worker.
The Louisville Metro Police officer, Samantha Davenport, denied that request, later saying she didn't carry a portable Breathalyzer in her cruiser. That "wasn't my thing," she said.
Taken directly to jail, Boyd took a Breathalyzer test about an hour later that seemed to prove she was telling the truth. The test results registered a 0.0 — showing no evidence of any alcohol in her system.
Boyd, still handcuffed and under arrest, then asked for an independent blood test and was taken to a hospital, continuing along the way to ask why she was being charged.
With Davenport looking on, a nurse told both her and Boyd the blood test was clean — with the medical record saying she was "clinically sober" with an "undetectable blood alcohol level."
To read more, click here.
8. Louisville's 2-month I-65 closure will send traffic over 'poor' overpasses set for repairs
When a planned two-month shutdown of Interstate 65 begins next year, the recommended detour will divert tens of thousands of vehicles away from downtown Louisville each day.
Closing part of I-65 between the Watterson Expressway and downtown will let crews focus on replacing "the worst of the bridges in this corridor" — three aging overpasses built more than 60 years ago.
During the work, officials want drivers to use a nearly 16-mile stretch of highways to get around the work zone. But the route also is peppered with deteriorating sections that will certainly see more wear and tear, including seven overpasses in "poor" condition — four of which are set for their own repairs and even replacement, according to a WDRB News analysis of public data.
The project led by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet declined interview requests for this story. But in written responses to questions, spokesperson Ed Green said state engineers don't expect increased traffic on the route next June and July to "negatively impact the bridges."
"These bridges are engineered and built to serve much greater volumes than are currently traveling on them," Green said.
To read more, click here.
9. Kentucky man woke up just before organ removal surgery, sparking federal investigation
TJ Hoover was rushed to Baptist Health Richmond in central Kentucky in October 2021 after suffering a drug overdose. Four days later, his family said he was believed to be brain dead, and doctors began preparing him for organ removal surgery.
Hoover was listed as an organ donor on his driver's license, and his name was on the national donor registry.
The problem was he was still alive.
"Almost immediately during his honor walk, his eyes started opening," said Donna Rhorer, Hoover's sister. "... and not only open — they were tracking."
To read more, click here.
10. Okolona mail dumping allegation leads to USPS employee's resignation
Complaints about missing mail in the Okolona area have led to a federal investigation, and now, a United States Postal Service employee has resigned.
The USPS Office of Inspector General confirmed an allegation of mail dumping was made at the Okolona Post Office last week. Several residents recently said they haven't received mail in weeks and worry it may be connected to the incident.
"I hope mine wasn't in there," Terry Herp, a postal customer, said outside the Okolona branch Tuesday.
According to the OIG, mail was found inside an employee's personal vehicle parked on postal property. The name of the employee hasn't been released because no criminal charges have been filed.
To read more, click here.
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