A Junction City contractor has been indicted on charges of selling more than $7,000 worth of methamphetamine to undercover investigators, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Gerald W. Etherton, 59, Junction City, is charged with six counts of distributing methamphetamine. According to court records in April of this year the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement agencies began investigating Etherton, who owned Jerry’s Construction at 305 East 8th in Junction City. Undercover agents made a series of buys from Etherton ranging in amount from an ounce of methamphetamine for $600 to a quarter of a pound for $2,000.

If convicted Etherton faces a penalty of not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million on five of the counts, and up to 20 years and a fine of up to $1 million on one of the counts. The KBI investigated with the assistance of the Geary County Sheriff’s Department, Junction City Police Department and the Geary County Attorney’s Office. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Skip Jacobs is prosecuting.