Nineteen arrested Wednesday morning in ‘Operation Out of Control’

Police in Whitley County hit the streets early Wednesday morning as part of Operation Out of Control in search of 22 suspected drug dealers.

The drug round-up stems from a nearly four-month investigation headed by Williamsburg Police Chief Wayne Bird and Detective Bobby Freeman that revolved largely around prescription drugs, said Williamsburg Public Affairs Officer Shawn Jackson.

"It is Operation Out of Control and that describes exactly what the drug problem is in Whitley County," Jackson said. "We are going to continue to fight the drug problem in Whitley County."

Over a dozen officers from Williamsburg, Corbin and the Kentucky State Police arrived at the Williamsburg Tourism and Convention Center for a briefing at 5 a.m. and were on the streets by 5:30 a.m. looking for the suspects.

By 8:30 a.m., police had arrested 19 suspects.

The arrests stem from 22 sealed indictments obtained by the department as a result of undercover investigations where police cooperating sources allegedly purchased drugs.

Most of the arrests took place in the Williamsburg city limits, which is something police concentrated on. Many stemmed from citizen complaints made to police.

"Most of the targets today were street level dealers," Jackson said. "These are the drugs that are being sold out there every day in the neighborhoods in the community to basically people on the streets.

"Most of these drugs transactions that were done weren’t hard. Basically, it is on the street about anywhere you go in Whitley County."

Jackson said that police could have continued their investigation, but that they have found it best to do round-ups of 20 – 30 people at a time.

Jackson concedes that the arrests are "just a small fraction" of the drug problem in Whitley County, but he says police will continue the fight.

"Some of these arrests are related to a prescription drug pipeline out of Nashville, Tenn., or Florida," Jackson said. "Others are connected to local prescriptions and obtaining prescriptions for illegal sale.

"So many people doing this with their medications is why we have a drug problem and it’s why we are having overdoses. It is a problem we are going to keep fighting."

Police confiscated ads cut out magazines from some suspects advertising pain clinics, including one that points out it dispenses drugs on site starting at $1.50 per pill.

The rate of prescriptions dispensed for controlled substances increased in 118 of Kentucky’s 120 counties between 2005 and 2007, according to a recent report of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, and five Kentucky counties – Clinton, Magoffin,

Whitley, Bell and Owsley – averaged more than four controlled substance prescriptions dispensed per resident.

According to jail records and police, those arrested in the round-up Wednesday include:

¥ Carolyn Anderson, 45 of Williamsburg – first-degree trafficking in controlled substance (methamphetamine), second offense or more.

¥ Vince A. Anderson, 40 of Williamsburg – first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

¥ Travis Lee Angel, 25, of Williamsburg – first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, second offense or more.

¥ Thelma Jean Bibbler, 42, of Williamsburg – first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, second offense or more.

¥ Brenda Booth, 50, of Williamsburg – first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

¥ Bobby Cox, 72, of Williamsburg – first-degree trafficking in controlled substance (methamphetamine), second offense or more.

¥ Bonnie Douglas, 47, of Williamsburg – first-degree trafficking in controlled substance (methamphetamine), second offense or more.

¥ Darla Earls, 37, of Williamsburg – first-degree trafficking in controlled substance (methamphetamine), second offense or more.

¥ Stephen Hacker, 33, of Williamsburg – first-degree trafficking in controlled substance (methamphetamine), second offense or more.

¥ Rodger Dale Hale, 43, of Rockholds – first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, second offense or more.

¥ Johnny Finlay Houston, 52, of Williamsburg – first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, second offense or more, and second-degree persistent felony offender.

¥ Melissa Johnson, 40, of Williamsburg – first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

¥ Stephen McVey – second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and possession of marijuana.

¥ Carolyn Spicer, 54, of Williamsburg – first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, second offense or more.

¥ Kimberly Strean, 27, of Williamsburg – first-degree trafficking in controlled substance (methamphetamine), second offense or more.

¥ Deva Caddell Sutton, 49, of Williamsburg – second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, second offense or more.

¥ Tom Tidwell, 52, of Williamsburg – first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, second offense or more.

¥ Linda Yount, 51, of Williamsburg – first-degree trafficking in controlled substance.

¥ Rose L. Yount, 47, of Williamsburg – first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (cocaine), second offense or more.

When police went to a residence on Red Witt Road looking for one round-up suspect, they discovered a marijuana plant growing in a closet under a heat lamp, Jackson said.

Police charged David Robert Young, 24, and Angela M. Young, 21, both of 269 Red Witt Road, with cultivating marijuana under five plants.

Jackson said that running into drugs like this during a drug round-up is something police often see.

"You run into people or other people in possession of drugs," Jackson said. "Mr. Young stated that it was for personal use and he was growing it to smoke himself. However, that is against the law."

While arresting another suspect, police discovered marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a shotgun in a convicted felon’s residence.

Jackson said that more arrests would take place.

"We are not hiding anything. We are saying it straight up. If you are dealing drugs, we are coming after you plain and simple," Jackson said. "We don’t want the children of our community to be exposed to drugs in our neighborhoods.

"Our main focus is to keep the citizens of the City of Williamsburg and Whitley County safe, to get these drug dealers off the street and make Whitley County a safer place for the community, citizens and children of the county."