LEXINGTON, Ky. — Perry County’s felony prosecutor resigned Monday after being accused of doing favors for criminal defendants in return for methamphetamine and sexual favors, according to his attorney.

Scott Blair, 51, also waived his right to a preliminary hearing and will remain jailed, at least for the time being.

Blair was commonwealth’s attorney for Perry County. He said on his LinkedIn page he had held the job since January 2019.

Commonwealth’s attorneys prosecute felony crimes in Kentucky.

Federal authorities arrested Blair Friday on a criminal complaint alleging he bought meth from people and solicited sex and meth from people facing criminal charges, then took actions to help them.

The charge against him is honest services wire fraud, meaning he allegedly deprived the citizens of Perry County of his honest services and used an electronic device in the process.

Zachary Bryson, a task-force officer with the FBI, set out several examples in an affidavit of Blair allegedly using Facebook to solicit meth or sex between 2020 and March of this year

The charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison if Blair is convicted.

Blair would have been entitled to a preliminary hearing soon, at which the government would have to present evidence to justify the charge, but Blair and his attorney, Ned Pillersdorf, waived the hearing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship said the government seeks to have Blair detained until trial.

He cited a section of the criminal code on detention hearings that involve a serious risk that a person “will obstruct or attempt to obstruct justice, or threaten, injure, or intimidate, or attempt to threaten, injure, or intimidate, a prospective witness or juror.”

Pillersdorf said Blair did not request a hearing on being released at this time. He was in leg chains at Monday’s hearing and was taken back to jail after it ended.

Pillersdorf could file a future motion seeking to have Blair released. If he is released, he won’t return as prosecutor.

Blair drew up a resignation Monday for Pillersdorf to submit to Gov. Andy Beshear and Attorney General Russell Coleman, Pillersdorf said.

Coleman had called for Blair to step aside soon after he was arrested.

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