Four former managers and supervisors at a Franklin County coal mine have been federally indicted on charges stemming from an underground fire in August 2021.
The defendants are Ronald Dale Koontz, 69, of Hendersonville, Tennessee; Demitrios George Macropoulos, 38, of Buckeye, Arizona; Randy L. Nowland, 67, of Waltonville; and Cory Taylor Humphrey, 37, of Prospect, Kentucky.
Federal prosecutors allege the four conspired to defraud the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration by concealing the fire and other hazards at the MC#1 Mine and interfering with the investigation that followed.
According to the indictment, miners were kept underground and coal production continued during all or portions of three shifts while crews unsuccessfully attempted to extinguish the fire. Prosecutors allege the defendants failed to evacuate the mine or notify federal mine safety officials as required.
Nowland and Humphrey are also accused of falsifying mine safety records, while Koontz and Macropoulos face obstruction charges for allegedly entering the mine despite an MSHA order withdrawing miners from the facility. Koontz is additionally accused of directing another supervisor to delete a record of a telephone call.
A fifth former mine manager, Brandon Timothy Parsons, pleaded guilty in August 2025 to conspiracy to defraud MSHA in a related case.
Federal prosecutors said the charges reflect the importance of protecting miners and ensuring safety hazards are properly reported and investigated.
The four defendants face possible prison sentences if convicted.