By Samantha Swindler / Managing Editor

A teacher at Knox Central High School was among those arrested Monday morning during an Operation UNITE roundup seeking 23 people on indictment warrants.

Jeremy Smith, 29, of Wendall Lane in Barbourville, had been indicted by the Knox County grand jury on Friday for first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. He is a science teacher at Knox Central High School in Barbourville.

According to police, UNITE conducted an undercover drug buy from Jeremy Smith on Feb. 26. He allegedly sold one OxyContin tablet for $50 from his vehicle in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant in Barbourville.

“He has been suspended with pay pending the results of the investigation,” said David Cole, spokesperson for the school district. He said the district knew nothing about UNITE’s case against Smith until the indictments were released Friday afternoon.

The arrest was part of a five-month undercover investigation by Operation UNITE officers into illegal drug trafficking in Knox County. Most of the cases involved the illegal sale of hydrocodone and oxycodone pills, officials said.

Assisting with Monday’s roundup were officers from the Barbourville Police Department, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Kentucky State Police and the Drug Enforcement Agency.

In addition to Jeremy Smith, those who have been arrested in connection with the investigation through Monday afternoon include:

• Sonny Brock, 72, Yellow Pine Road, Flat Lick, three counts of second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (hydrocodone) and two counts third-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (alprazolum)

• Mike Carr, 39, Brian Drive, Corbin, three counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (oxycodone, methadone), possession of drug paraphernalia

• Emmanuel Lee Collins, 30, Coal Port Road, Artemus, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (oxycodone) and second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (hydrocodone)

• Stacey Cox, 43, Geneva Lane Drive, Artemus, three counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance

• Millard A. Davenport, 58, T. Run Branch Road, Artemus, two counts of second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (hydrocodone)

• Frank D. Hamilton, 29, Coon Branch Cemetery Road, Barbourville, three counts of second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (buprenorphine)

• Franklin Hammons, 38, Tea Run Hollow, Artemus, three counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (oxycodone)

• Troy Partin Jr., 39, Warren Camp Road, Barbourville, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (oxycodone) and two counts of second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (buprenorphine and hydrocodone)

• Johnny “Hook” Roark, 62, Coal Port Road, Artemus, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and second-degree conspiracy to traffic in a controlled substance

• Josh Ryan Smith, 24, Bradley Martin Lane, Barbourville, two counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (oxycodone)



Others indicted on drug charges Friday but not arrested are:

• Randall Bays, 47, Barbourville, two counts of trafficking in marijuana more than eight ounces, less than five pounds, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, possession of marijuana, fourth-degree assault

• Cindy Bays, Barbourville, possession of marijuana, fourth-degree assault

• Dana Siler, 38, Corbin, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance

• Stacey L. Cox, 43, Artemus, three counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (oxycodone)

• Vealor Matthew Bunch, 39, Barbourville, three counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (methadone, oxycodone)

• Kenneth B. Partin, 51, Kay Jay, two counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (oxycodone), trafficking in marijuana less than eight ounces

• Nancy Grubb, 35, Barbourville first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (oxycodone), second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (hydrocodone)

• Danny Grubb, 37, Barbourville, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (hydrocodone)

• Earnest Alfred Collins Jr., 32, Artemus, two counts of second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (hydrocodone)

• Michele R. Stapleton, 41, Artemus, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (hydrocodone)

• Johnny Roark, 62, Artemus, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (hydrocodone)

• Elizabeth Brooke Patterson, 29, Barbourville, first-degree criminal conspiracy to traffic in a controlled substance, five counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (oxycodone), third-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (alprazolam)

• James Doyle Powell, 36, Barbourville, first-degree criminal conspiracy to traffic in a controlled substance, five counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (oxycodone), third-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (alprazolam)

• William Fletcher Sparks, 35, Artemus, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (hydrocodone), trafficking in marijuana less than eight ounces

• Walter Hamilton, 29, Trosper, two counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (oxycodone)

• Alfred Schneider Jr., 35, Artemus, two counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance



Those indicted by the grand jury Friday who were not part of UNITE operations are:

• Ernest Ray Endicott Jr., 38, Port Orange, Fla., flagrant non-support

• Stephanie McKeehan (aka Stephanie Howard), 27, Manchester, flagrant non-support

• Gerald Games, 44, Boiling Brook, Ill., flagrant non-support

• Jason Todd Grim, 35, Nippa, flagrant non-support

• Brandon Powell, 31, New Tazwell, Tenn., flagrant non-support

• Billy William, 41, Flat Lick, first-degree sodomy with a child under the age of 12, first-degree sexual abuse with a child under the age of 12

• Shannon Callahan, 36, Corbin, theft by deception more than $300

• Rickie Slusher, 48, Corbin, driving under the influence (fourth offense), reckless driving, failure to surrender revoked/suspended license, driving while license is revoked/suspended for DUI

• Christopher Robbins, 23, Berea, receiving stolen property more than $300 (for receiving and possessing a Sentinel-Echo newspaper rack)

• Ronnie J. Reynolds, 23, Tazwell, Tenn., second-degree assault

• Judy Basinger, 43, Barbourville, theft of identity without consent, theft of services

• Alvin Flannelly, 19, Gray, second-degree burglary, receiving stolen property more than $300

• Malinda Black, 19, Barbourville, first-degree wanton endangerment, driving without a license, failure to wear seat belt

• Jeremiah Knighting, 33, London, three counts of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, three counts of theft of identity of another without consent, three counts of theft by deception, second-degree persistent felony offender

• Loretta Yocum, 24, London, three counts of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, three counts of theft of identity of another without consent, three counts of theft by deception

• James Carnes, 21, Corbin, first-degree possession of a controlled substance (oxycodone), driving with expired registration plate, driving under the influence, driving without a license, possession of drug paraphernalia

• Shawntaea Hughes, 21, Barbourville, three counts of program assistance fraud

• Tony Roark, 46, Corbin, third-degree burglary, receiving stolen property more than $300 (for theft of a computer from Artemus school)

• Randy Roark, 38, Corbin, third-degree burglary, receiving stolen property more than $300 (for theft of a computer from Artemus school), second-degree persistent felony offender