BREAKING NEWS: Four more arrested in Williamsburg ‘pill pipeline’ crackdown

In what has become a routine occurrence, Williamsburg police arrested four people during a routine traffic stop Friday morning, who were returning to Kentucky after a visit to a Florida pain clinic.

"This is becoming very common for us to see on I-75," said Williamsburg Public Affairs Officer Shawn Jackson. "It is just one of the problems that seem like it keeps going and going. We are going to do all we can do to help the problem."

Police stopped the northbound 1995 red Honda near the 11-mile marker about 8:30 a.m. after observing the vehicle swerving in and out of its lane of travel, Jackson said.

"Upon stopping the subjects, they each gave me a different story about where they had been. They tried to keep it together, but it fell apart," Jackson said.

Police determined through their investigation that the group had been to Universal Pain Clinic in Ft. Lauderdale.

Two out of the four received prescriptions, and one of the vehicle occupants had their prescription filled on site, Jackson said.

"They were prescribed large amounts of narcotics," he said.

One person received a prescription for 540 Oxycodone tablets, in addition to Alprazalam, and Soma.

Jackson charged driver Joshua S. Webb, 24, of Waynesburg, with careless driving, no seatbelt, and driving while under the influence.

He charged passengers Wesley J. Swinson, 20, and Larry J. Brent II, 29, both of Eubank, with public intoxication.
Jackson charged passenger Tina M. Spears, 33, of Eubank, with first-degree possession of a controlled substance.

During the investigation, Jackson said he discovered that Spears, who was the only person in the vehicle not charged with being under the influence, had several 80-mg Oxycontin pills concealed in a container that she stuffed down the front of her pants.

"Upon asking, she stated she hid them there when an officer got behind them," Jackson said. "She voluntarily surrendered them when asked if she had anything on her. She was pretty cooperative."

Jackson said that she couldn’t provide a prescription for the drugs, which is what led to the felony drug possession charge.

All four were lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center.