Clay County UNITE
Dec 20, 2007 23:35:35 GMT -5
Post by Local News on Dec 20, 2007 23:35:35 GMT -5
Religion in the news
mercurynews.com
MANCHESTER, Ky.—John Becknell enters the courtroom and finds his usual spot in the front row, just behind the prosecutor's table. Becknell—a devout Christian known to many as "Brother John"—pulls out a pen and an inch-thick docket, mostly of drug and alcohol cases. For the next three hours, he takes diligent notes on the judge's actions, the attendance of police officers, repeat offenders making another appearance, and so on. The purpose? To make sure drug offenders in eastern Kentucky are getting what they deserve.
John Becknell
Frustrated with widespread drug abuse—especially of easily accessible prescription painkillers—a handful of mountain churches are moving away from their traditional role as a refuge for the poor and addicted. Now they're more interested in law enforcement. The Community Church of Manchester is leading the way through "Court Watch," a program in which volunteers attend court hearings to monitor judges overseeing drug-related cases.
"It's kind of a new position and very controversial," said Becknell, who also runs his church's local Christian television station. "A lot of churches shun getting involved in politics or going to court."
The Rev. Doug Abner, pastor at Community Church—whose slogan for a 2004 anti-drug march was "get saved or get busted"—said the presence of Court Watch volunteers puts "mild pressure" on judges "to do the right thing." The volunteers collect information for a database and look for trends in drug crimes. The program concerns some other people of faith, who say it cuts against Christian values.
"The churches have traditionally been the humanitarian influence in society," said the Rev. John Rausch, director of the Catholic Committee on Appalachia.
Churches should focus on drug counseling and ministering to inmates, he said, citing part of the Gospel of Matthew (25:36) concerning the final judgment: "When I was in prison, you came to see me."
"It isn't 'I was up for charges and you made sure they threw the book at me,'" Rausch said.
Abner said his church hasn't neglected its prison ministry or other counseling programs. Still, he added, "we believe in giving people chances, but how many chances do you give them?"
The Community Church, 95 miles south of Lexington, also has fielded concerns about the volunteers overstepping the bounds of keeping church and state separate, but he said there's no reason why congregants should stay away from the criminal justice system. Ken Bolin, pastor at Manchester Baptist Church, said he supports Court Watch and sees no reason why churches and courts can't work together to combat drug offenders.
"We're such a major part of mountain life—why shut the church out of the institution?" he said.
Court Watch and Community Church came together three years ago, when Christian leaders in Clay County were overwhelmed by their deep-rooted drug problem. As in much of eastern Kentucky, drug abuse was a longtime epidemic in this area of about 25,000—even afflicting members of Becknell's family.
"Good people have sat back and done nothing," Abner said.
Desperate for a solution, Becknell began to work with Operation UNITE, a federally funded drug task force that covers 29 counties in southeastern Kentucky and which created Court Watch. He said that during his first few sessions as a court observer, he noticed officers not showing up, cases getting dismissed, judges doling out lenient sentences and the same defendants appearing before the same judge.
He came to this conclusion: "If you're waiting for the courts to combat drugs, how long are you going to wait?"
Becknell and his fellow volunteers don't limit themselves to collecting information—they also approach law enforcement and judges when they believe something is amiss. UNITE Executive Director Karen Engle recalled the time Becknell questioned the task force about its own officers not showing up to court in his county. Turns out the officers hadn't been properly subpoenaed, she said, but "we wouldn't have known about the problem if he hadn't reported it. Court Watch "holds everyone accountable, including UNITE," she said.
Over the years, Becknell has trained around two dozen churches or church-sponsored groups in the program.
"The churches have such influence in the community—they're an obvious place to recruit volunteers," said Dale Morton, spokesman for UNITE. "They're a captive audience ... they're always looking for a mission."
During a recent training session at the First Baptist Church in Grayson, Becknell described the transformation in his community: "If you do the crime in Manchester, you do the time."
"If your circuit and district judges decided to hold people accountable under the law, your community would change in 60 days," he told the group.
While Clay County's judges say they welcome Court Watch, they also say they'd operate the same way—with or without observers.
"They know they're welcome in my court anytime I'm there," said District Judge Renee Muncy.
Yet, she added that she doesn't feel pressured by the presence of Court Watch participants. Neither does Circuit Judge R. Cletus Maricle, who said, "Some judges probably feel they are there to intimidate him. If the judge is intimidated, that's his fault."
On the Net: Community Church of Manchester, Ky.: www.communitychurch.net
Court Watch: www.operationunite.org/coalitions/committees/courthingych.php
Four more charged in Clay roundup
Four more people have been arrested in connection with an April 11 roundup of suspected drug dealers in Clay County. These individuals were among 35 people targeted by Operation UNITE as part of on-going investigations into illegal drug dealing over the past six months. Twenty-four of the suspects were arrested during the initial sweeps – a Hot Spot operation conducted in the Horse Creek community during the morning and a county-wide search in the afternoon. The new arrests all came Wednesday evening. They are:
• David D. Holt, age 25, Crawfish Road, Manchester, trafficking in marijuana.
• Tony Hoskins, age 41, Gabbards Fork Road, Manchester, second-degree possession of a controlled substance second offense.
• Mark A. Prilaman, age 44, Gregory Branch Road, Manchester, trafficking in marijuana.
• Gary Woods, age 45, Long Bottom Road, Manchester, first-degree possession of a controlled substance, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, second-degree possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Operation Hot Spot is an effort by UNITE to target drug-stricken communities by arresting the dealers and following up with a community meeting to empower residents with the information and resources needed to keep their neighborhoods drug-free. Most of the 19 individuals wanted in Wednesday’s Hot Spot operation lived on Crawfish Road, Curry Branch, Gregory Branch Road or Roots Branch Road.
A meeting for Horse Creek residents will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 15, at the Horse Creek Baptist Church on KY 80. During the afternoon part of the roundup law enforcement officers targeted individuals from throughout the county to arrest 16 people, most of whom were wanted for the sale or manufacturing of methamphetamine.
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Operation Unite
'Dangerous' meth lab found in Clay County home
MANCHESTER – An active methamphetamine operation that posed potentially deadly consequences was discovered inside a Clay County home on Monday, February 12.
“This was one of the more dangerous methamphetamine labs we have discovered,” said Joel Cunigan, manager of Operation UNITE’s Cumberland Drug Task Force. “Anhydrous ammonia, a chemical used in the manufacturing process, was leaking from a storage tank. Breathing the fumes will destroy a person’s lungs and could easily result in death.”
Arrested at their Burning Springs home were 42-year-old Darrell W. Mathis and his wife, 39-year-old Carol Mathis. Clay County Family Court Judge Gene Clark ordered the couple’s two children and a third child, a relative staying with them during the week, to be placed into protective custody of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
“The callous disregard for these children’s safety is inexcusable,” Cunigan said.
Following up on information obtained during a three-month investigation of the couple, detectives from Operation UNITE and members of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office went to the Mathis’ home on Robinson Creek Road about 2:30 p.m. Monday. Upon arrival at the residence, located off U.S. 421 near the Jackson County line, officers smelled a strong chemical odor coming from the home and spotted a burn pile containing six starting fluid cans in the yard, Cunigan said. Through the windows they spotted a fertilizer bag inside the home.
Detectives knocked on the doors for approximately 15 minutes before Darrell Mathis was seen looking out an upstairs window. When Darrell came to the door he told officers he had been sleeping. Darrell Mathis was immediately detained and officers went inside to make sure nobody else was inside. About 3 p.m. Carol Mathis returned home and was also detained. A half tablet of Hydrocodone was discovered inside her purse.
As UNITE detectives waited on a search warrant for the residence, the three teen-age children were dropped off by their school bus. They were turned over to social workers from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which took them to Manchester Memorial Hospital to be checked out. A search of the home uncovered two propane tanks and an oxygen tank containing anhydrous ammonia. One of the propane tanks was leaking inside the home, and all were “extremely volatile,” Cunigan said. In addition, detectives also discovered a container containing an “active” chemical reaction to produce methamphetamine.
Police also found 25 individually wrapped bags containing a total of 12.1 grams of methamphetamine, one Hydrocodone pill, and more starting fluid. Ether contained in the starting fluid is used in the manufacturing process. Burning Springs Volunteer Fire Department Chief James Sams and members of his department provided manpower and equipment for the six hours it took UNITE detectives to cleanup the lab. Also assisting were members of the Manchester Police Department.
Darrell Mathis was charged with manufacturing methamphetamine, unlawful possession of meth precursors, second-degree controlled substance endangerment of a child, and first-degree knowingly possessing anhydrous ammonia in other than an approved container with intent to manufacture methamphetamine. Carol Mathis was charged with second-degree possession of a controlled substance.
UNITE officials said the investigation is on-going and additional charges are possible. Both Darrell and Carol were lodged in the Clay County Detention Center.
Abner, Bolin to be featured speakers at anti-drug program in Georgia
Prayer breakfast leads into march against drugs
Christians and Concerned Citizens Coalition of Calhoun, Georgia is hosting a prayer breakfast at Trinity Baptist Church on Saturday, March 24 at 9 a.m.
"Although the event is open to everyone we highly encourage all pastors, associate pastors, and youth pastors to attend," local organizers said.
"It is vital that we join together to combat the scourge that is reeking havoc in our community, our state and our nation. A difference can be made one community at a time.
"We need to send a clear message to drug dealers and users that 'it is not acceptable' in Gordon County, that we will no longer stand by and watch our loved ones destroyed by this plague. A planning committee has been formed to assist those requesting help that are suffering from the bonds of addiction."
The featured speakers will be Pastors Ken Bolin and Doug Abner from Manchester, Kenucky "Both have a powerful message of hope and feel led by the Lord to share their message with those desiring to make a difference in their community," the spokesman said.
"They have traveled around the country uniting the Body of Christ against this plague that has reached epidemic proportions."
The two pastors organized the first Christian Anti-Drug March in their hometown of Manchester. This march took place in May of 2004 with approximately 3,500 participating. The leaders of Manchester recently passed a resolution making it “The City of Hope." Abner said that before the march, Manchester should have been called “The City of Hopelessness.”
Their story was seen around the world on the 700 Club, and since the airing of the story they have received calls and e-mails from 33 states and several foreign countries requesting their help. Gordon County’s “United For A Drug Free Community” March Against Drugs will take place on April 28 at noon. This will be a slow 1.3-mile walk starting at the Calhoun HIgh School football field and ending in the same location for the rally.
The rally will include special guest speakers and Christian music. Gov. Sonny Perdue has been invited as keynote speaker.
"We are requesting that all Christians be in prayer regarding this effort," local organizers said.
Clay drug dealers dealt double blow
Nearly three dozen Clay County drug dealers were targeted in a two-phase law enforcement effort led by Operation UNITE on Wednesday, April 11. Starting just after dawn, teams of officers converged on Curry Branch Road and Crawfish Branch Road in the Horse Creek Community just south of Manchester seeking to arrest 19 individuals as part of UNITE’s “Operation Hot Spot” initiative. Officers also served three search warrants and discovered a cache of drugs, alcohol, firearms and money.
Operation Hot Spot, launched in July 2006, is designed to help people within a specific community fight drug dealers by first alleviating the problem and subsequently conducting community meetings to empower residents with the information and resources needed to keep their neighborhoods drug-free.
“We had received a tremendous number of complaints about the pervasive drug dealing taking place along Curry Branch and Crawfish Branch,” said Joel Cunigan, manager of UNITE’s Cumberland Drug Task Force. “We have been investigating and making buys from these individuals over the past five months – some as recently as Tuesday morning.”
Most of the charges involved the illegal sale of OxyContin, cocaine, Hydrocodone or Lorcet. By mid-afternoon 15 of the suspects targeted by Operation Hot Spot had been arrested or were already in jail on unrelated charges.
After regrouping at their command center in the Beech Creek Recreation Center, the officers fanned out across the county to arrest 16 other individuals, many involved with the sale or manufacturing of methamphetamine. The afternoon roundup involved cases developed by detectives over the past seven months, Cunigan said. Police had arrested nine of these suspects as of 3:30 p.m. with units still out looking. Additional charges against several of these individuals are likely, police said.
After processing, those arrested were lodged in the Clay County Detention Center. More than 50 law enforcement officers took part in Wednesday’s roundup. Assisting detectives from all three UNITE drug task force offices were officers from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Manchester Police Department, Kentucky State Police and Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement, which also provided a K-9 unit for the searches.
Members of the Concerned Christians for a Drug Free Clay County UNITE Coalition and Lifeline of Eastern Kentucky, an after-care program based in Manchester, were on hand at the community center to speak with those arrested and offer assistance and support if needed.
Unlike other drug round-ups, Operation Hot Spot seeks first to reclaim drug-invested neighborhoods by eliminating the dealers, then follows up on the high-profile effort with UNITE’s other two equally important components – education and treatment. Once the initial roundup is over, officers begin placing door hangers on homes and flyers at businesses announcing the time and location for a community meeting where UNITE officials discuss how residents can engage their friends and neighbors to make their community a safe and secure place in which to raise a family.
A community meeting for Horse Creek residents is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 15, at the Horse Creek Baptist Church on KY 80. For more information about this meeting contact UNITE at 1-866-OP-UNITE (1-866-678-6483). Previous Hot Spot enforcement efforts have been conducted in the Verda community in Harlan County, Busy/Yerkes/Willard communities in Perry County, and the Benham/Cumberland/Lynch communities in Harlan County.
Arrested Wednesday from the Operation Hot Spot effort were:
• Charles W. Asher, age 19, General Delivery, Manchester, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Charlie Collins, age 63, Roots Branch Road, Manchester, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and third-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Melissa Collins, age 23, Roots Branch Road, Manchester, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Della R. Curry, age 59, Curry Branch Road, Manchester, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Gary W. Henson, age 51, Gregory Branch Road, Manchester, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Anna Jarvis, age 65, Crawfish Road, Manchester, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Geri Jarvis, age 38, Crawfish Road, Manchester, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Vernon Jarvis, age 51, Crawfish Road, Manchester, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Sondra Jones, age 26, Gregory Branch Road, Manchester, tampering with physical evidence.
• Edward Roberts, age 31, Curry Branch Road, Manchester, first-degree possession of a controlled substance.
• Cecil Sizemore, age 45, Crawfish Road, Manchester, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance second offense.
• Mary Lou Sizemore, age 59, Curry Branch Road, Manchester, two counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance second offense.
• Jamie Sizemore, age 18, Crawfish Road, Manchester, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Hershell R. Stanfield, age 27, Gregory Branch Road, Manchester, trafficking in marijuana.
• Janice F. Wombles, age 50, Curry Branch Road, Manchester, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
Arrested during the second phase of Wednesday’s operation were:
• Catherine Couch Botkins, age 41, Locust Street, Manchester, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Billy D. Carr, age 41, Paces Creek, Manchester, first-degree criminal attempt to possess a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
• Chasity Collett, age 22, Highway 421, Manchester, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Jason Hubbard, age 29, Left Fork of Billy’s Branch, Manchester, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Michael Lovins, age 34, Highway 1350, Manchester, first-degree possession of a controlled substance and tampering with physical evidence.,
• David Arnold Reid, age 60, May Reid Road, Manchester, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Christopher Sester, age 32, North Ponders Branch, Burning Springs, first-degree possession of a controlled substance.
• Vicki Sester, age 33, North Ponders Branch, Burning Springs, first-degree possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine).
• Teresa A. Smallwood, age 29, Cane Branch Road, Manchester, second-degree possession of a controlled substance.
Four more charged in Clay roundup
Four more people have been arrested in connection with an April 11 roundup of suspected drug dealers in Clay County. These individuals were among 35 people targeted by Operation UNITE as part of on-going investigations into illegal drug dealing over the past six months. Twenty-four of the suspects were arrested during the initial sweeps – a Hot Spot operation conducted in the Horse Creek community during the morning and a county-wide search in the afternoon. The new arrests all came Wednesday evening. They are:
• David D. Holt, age 25, Crawfish Road, Manchester, trafficking in marijuana.
• Tony Hoskins, age 41, Gabbards Fork Road, Manchester, second-degree possession of a controlled substance second offense.
• Mark A. Prilaman, age 44, Gregory Branch Road, Manchester, trafficking in marijuana.
• Gary Woods, age 45, Long Bottom Road, Manchester, first-degree possession of a controlled substance, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, second-degree possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Operation Hot Spot is an effort by UNITE to target drug-stricken communities by arresting the dealers and following up with a community meeting to empower residents with the information and resources needed to keep their neighborhoods drug-free. Most of the 19 individuals wanted in Wednesday’s Hot Spot operation lived on Crawfish Road, Curry Branch, Gregory Branch Road or Roots Branch Road.
A meeting for Horse Creek residents will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 15, at the Horse Creek Baptist Church on KY 80. During the afternoon part of the roundup law enforcement officers targeted individuals from throughout the county to arrest 16 people, most of whom were wanted for the sale or manufacturing of methamphetamine.
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Operation Unite
ZIP Express delivery service driver gets 50 months for peddling stolen drugs in Clay County
Six individuals accused of operating two separate drug distribution rings were sentenced in U.S. District Court at London on Monday, May 7. A seventh person connected to the case is scheduled for sentencing later this month. Both cases – one in Clay County and the other in Perry County -- involved the illegal sale of thousands of prescription pills over a several month period in 2006, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West. All seven people entered guilty pleas to their charges in January. Monday’s sentencings were conducted before U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves.
“These type of cases, which involve high-volume for-profit drug dealers, take longer to investigate,” noted Dan Smoot, law enforcement director for Operation UNITE. “The benefit is these dealers generally receive longer sentences.”
The Perry County case began in Clay County with a traffic stop conducted by the Manchester Police Department. During that stop officers discovered drugs in a vehicle driven by 33-year-old Javed Ashiq, of Evergreen Way in Stockbridge, Georgia, and called UNITE detectives to assist in the investigation. It was quickly learned that Ashiq and 30-year-old Kurt Kilgore, of White Oak Lane in Lilburn, Georgia, were shipping drugs from the Atlanta area to a Hazard couple. Also involved with the case was 29-year-old Tonya Groover, of East Atlanta Road in Stockbridge, Georgia.
Local distribution of the pills was handled by 28-year-old Roger Combs, of Sharon Rose Drive in Hazard, and his girlfriend, 28-year-old Kelly Green of Bulan, said Mike Luttrell, manager of UNITE’s Kentucky River Drug Task Force. West said more than 2,100 OxyContin pills and 400 Dilaudid pills were delivered between April and August of last year. After the suspects were arrested the cases were adopted by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) office in London.
Ashiq, Kilgore, Combs and Green each entered guilty pleas to one count of conspiracy to distribute OxyContin. Groover pled guilty to one count of possession of Dilaudid. Green was sentenced to 72 months in prison, Combs to 57 months in prison and Kilgore to 65 months in prison. Upon completion of their sentence they will each be placed on three years supervised probation. Ashiq, a native of Pakistan, received 100 months in prison. Upon completion of his sentence he will be deported, West said. Federal officials are continuing to investigate the source of the prescription medication in the Atlanta area.
In the second case, 36-year-old Adam Palm, a contract employee for the Knoxville-based ZIP Express delivery service, was caught diverting pills he had stolen in the course of his work servicing local pharmacies. UNITE detectives had received information that Palm and his wife, 34-year-old Kimberly Palm, were selling drugs in the Clay County area. During their investigation purchases were made from the Palms, who live on Highway 472. More than 5,000 Lortab pills and approximately 200 OxyContin pills were sold between late summer and early fall, West said. This case was also adopted by the DEA.
Adam Palm pled guilty to one count each of distribution of OxyContin and distribution of Lortab and was sentenced to 50 months in prison. Kimberly pled guilty to one count of distribution of Lortab and was sentenced to 14 months in prison. They were ordered to forfeit $3,000 in cash and pay restitution in the amount of $2,800 as part of the plea agreement. Upon completion of their sentences they will each be placed on three years supervised release.
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Operation Unite
Meth Lab Found At Big Creek Home
One person was arrested after detectives from Operation UNITE located a methamphetamine lab at a home in the Big Creek community of Clay County. Police charged 31-year-old Sherrie Renee Minton with one count each of manufacturing methamphetamine, first-degree possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), unlawful possession of methamphetamine precursors, first-degree possession of a controlled substance, second-degree possession of a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana. Minton was lodged in the Clay County Detention Center.
Joel Cunigan, manager of UNITE’s Cumberland Drug Task Force, said an arrest warrant for an additional suspect would be obtained in the next few days. At about 4:10 p.m. Wednesday, August 8, UNITE detectives went to Minton’s home on South Highway 66 to conduct an interview about excessive purchases of Sudafed from different pharmacies in several counties. After speaking with Minton, officers obtained consent to search the home and found a quantity of OxyContin and drug paraphernalia.
Based upon this discovery, a search warrant was obtained for the property. During the subsequent search detectives found a methamphetamine lab and several items used to manufacture methamphetamine in an out-building located next to the residence. Also found were quantities of methamphetamine, OxyContin, Hydrocodone and marijuana. UNITE was assisted by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Kentucky State Police. Police called the Department of Families and Children to take custody of two young children who were at home during the search.
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Operation Unite
Two Clay County residents arrested in UNITE investigation
Five more individuals have been arrested as part of an Operation UNITE drug investigation in Laurel County. A roundup targeting 34 suspected dealers took place Tuesday, October 23. By early afternoon officers from several agencies were able to locate and arrest 20 of these individuals. That afternoon, UNITE detectives and officers from the London Police Department and Laurel County Sheriff’s Office checked on numerous complaints. As a result, they discovered an inactive methamphetamine lab at a home on KY 1956 at Clearview Road.
UNITE has charged 58-year-old Gary W. Miller, of Somerset Road, London, with one count each of manufacturing methamphetamine and first-degree possession of a controlled substance (meth). At another residence, police arrested 37-year-old Robert D. Campbell, of Woodchuck Lane, London, with one count each of first-degree possession of a controlled substance (meth) and second-degree possession of a controlled substance (Hydrocodone).
On Wednesday, officers were able to locate three more individuals wanted in the roundup. Charged were:
• Roger Dale Blanton, age 56, no address available, Harlan, manufacturing methamphetamine, conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine and second-degree persistent felony offender.
• Darrel Mathis, age 43, of Robinson Creek Road, Manchester, unlawful possession of methamphetamine precursors.
• Sherry Minton, age 31, of Big Creek, Manchester, unlawful possession of methamphetamine precursors.
Many of the cases involved with this investigation were made possible because of the new MethCheck program piloted by UNITE in Laurel County, said Det. Brian Lewis, with UNITE’s Diversion unit. MethCheck is an electronic reporting program that tracks purchases of pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient of methamphetamine production. The program pilot program proved so successful that Kentucky is set to implement MethCheck in all Kentucky pharmacies by next summer.
The preceding was a press release from Operation Unite.
33 sought in Clay drug roundup
MANCHESTER - A lengthy investigation of illegal drug trafficking in Clay County has led to arrest warrants being issued for 33 people – including one person who was peddling pills from his downtown business.
“We had received numerous complaints about drugs being sold by Jeremy Alfred Smith from the tattoo shop located directly across from City Hall,” said Joel Cunigan, manager of UNITE’s Cumberland Drug Task Force. Following Smith’s arrest police found several grams of methamphetamine sewn into his clothing.
For the past six months detectives from Operation UNITE, along with officers from the Manchester Police Department and Clay County Sheriff’s Office, have targeted suspected dealers from all parts of the county – including the Horse Creek community that was the focus of a “Hot Spot” operation this past April.
“We were purchasing mostly OxyContin and Hydrocodone, but we also found cocaine, Xanax, methamphetamine and marijuana,” said Cunigan. “Many of these individuals have shown a consistent pattern of selling drugs and we’re glad to get them off the street.”
Police set out Wednesday morning to arrest 33 individuals. By early afternoon, 25 of these suspects had been charged along with another person who was found to be in possession of drugs.
Approximately 100 Hydrocodone pills and 250 Xanax pills were seized from various locations visited by police.
UNITE detectives were assisted Wednesday by law enforcement officers from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Manchester Police Department, Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement and Kentucky State Police.
The 25 people arrested as of 2 p.m. were:
• James Mason Allen, age 33, Bales Creek Road, Manchester, tampering with physical evidence.
• Frankie Carpenter, age 26, Crawfish Road, Manchester, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, second offense.
• Della Rob Curry, age 59, Curry Branch Road, Manchester, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, first-degree possession of a controlled substance, and second-degree possession of a controlled substance.
• Rebecca Lynn Dezarn, age 40, Crawfish Road, Manchester, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Anthony Wayne Gilbert, age 37, Green Street, two counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Prema Delaine Gilbert, age 32, Oneida, trafficking in a controlled substance within 1,000 yards of a school and trafficking in marijuana less than 8 ounces.
• Lois Fay Gray, age 52, Hickory Hill, Manchester, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Wayne Grubb, age 45, Johnson Road, London, cultivation of marijuana more than 5 plants.
• Gary Wayne Henson, age 52, Route 4, Manchester, three counts second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, second offense.
• Theo Hoskins, age 65, Balls Branch Road, Manchester, two counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and one count second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Carolyn Jon Jones, age 49, Manchester, unlawful possession of methamphetamine precursors.
• Norma Jones, age 29, McCoy Heights, Manchester, possession of marijuana.
• Larry Wayne Moore, age 30, Hickory Hill, Manchester, two counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and one count first-degree possession of a controlled substance.
• Charlie Roberts, age 51, Curry Branch Road, Manchester, four counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, second offense, and one count second-degree persistent felony offender.
• Shannon Dewayne Simmons, age 31, Webb Street, Manchester, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Crystal Gail Sizemore, age 29, North Highway 421, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Eugene Sizemore, age 39, Route 3, Manchester, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and second-degree persistent felony offender.
• Michael Lucky Sizemore, age 20, Manchester, second-degree possession of a controlled substance and tampering with physical evidence.
• George Smith, age 48, North Highway 421, Manchester, four counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and two counts second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Jeremy Alfred Smith, age 35, U.S. 421, Manchester, four counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and one count second-degree persistent felony offender.
• Bertha B. Spurlock, age 58, Route 8, Manchester, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Kathy L. Stewart, age 35, Belles Fork Road, Manchester, manufacturing methamphetamine.
• Wesley Wayne Wagers, age 28, Paces Creek Road, Manchester, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Elliott Westberry, age 36, Crane Creek, Manchester, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Tammy Westberry, age 34, North Highway 421, Manchester, second-degree possession of a controlled substance.
• Bertha Williams, age 31, Garrad, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
The preceding was a press release from Operation Unite.