By Adam S. Sulfridge / Staff Writer

Local law enforcement officials apprehended 19 of 22 Whitley County residents wanted as part of Williamsburg Police Department’s 30-man roundup. Dubbed “Operation out of Control,” it began around 5 a.m. Wednesday morning, and primarily targeted those who had sold pills or other drugs to informants.

“This county’s drug problem is so bad right now, and while those arrested are just a small fraction, we’re going to continue to fight the drug problem,” said Public Affairs Officer Shawn Jackson.

“It was a successful day for us, getting drug dealers off the street… between 5:30 a.m. to about 8:50 a.m., we apprehended 19 of our 22 local targets,” he added. “The dealers we arrested today were ‘street level’ dealers, and unfortunately they’re the ones in your neighborhoods where kids may be exposed to drug trafficking… almost anybody on the street can attain drugs from these kinds of dealers.”

“The purpose of this, basically, is to continue to fight drug abuse, and we want our communities to be safer places, especially for our kids… most of these dealers were located in Williamsburg, but a few were out in the county,” Officer Jackson explained.

“A few of the arrestees were related to ‘drug pipelines’ coming out of Nashville, Tennessee and Florida, and a lot of them were just people who obtained valid prescriptions but sold them illegally.”

He emphasized, “We’re going to be doing this more often… we have already started our undercover work for the next roundup.” Hoping to send a stern warning to others he added, “Even if you’re obtaining your prescription narcotics to resell them, we’re coming after you… it is considered illegal, and you are dealing drugs.”

Of the 19 locals arrested on charges of drug trafficking, 12 were women.

“I think it shows that drug dealing, especially the sell of prescription narcotics, is becoming more widespread,” Jackson said. “Traditionally, you might envision more males doing it, but now many women have jumped on board… But men or women alike, if you’re selling drugs, we’re coming after you.”

A man and a woman who were not originally targeted by the roundup were arrested for cultivating marijuana after police discovered a plant growing in their home while searching for a suspect.

“We went to a residence where a subject to be arrested was supposed to be located, and they invited us into their residence to verify he wasn’t actually there… While we were searching, we found a marijuana plant growing in a closet with a heat lamp.”

Another two suspects actually turned themselves in once family and friends notified them that they were wanted by police.

Altogether, officers were satisfied with Wednesday’s work and said all arrests were made without the use of force. Officer Jackson said, “We mostly received cooperation from people but also got some resistance… We, of course, heard comments ranging from ‘I’ve never sold a drug before in my life’ to the use of profanity.” He also stated that one-finger sign language was directed at a member of the press by the same subject several times.

Eight additional arrest warrants were issued as part of “Operation Out of Control” for suspects no longer living in or around Whitley County. Two suspects are said to now be living in Tennessee, and another suspect is reportedly living in Florida. Troopers with Post 6, which is located in northern Kentucky, were asked to arrest another five suspects said to now be living in that area.

Nearly 20 officers participated in Wednesday’s roundup. Williamsburg police were assisted by the Kentucky State Police and Corbin Police Department.

Those arrested on drug trafficking charges were Darla Earls, 37; Bob Cox, 72; Carolyn Sue Spicer, 54; Carolyn Anderson, 45; Brenda Booth, 50; Bonnie Douglas, 47; Vince Anderson, 40; Travis Lee Angel, 25; Tom O. Tidwell, 52; Thelma Bibbler, 42; Tammy Henson, 45; Stephen Hacker, 43; Rose L. Yount, 47; Rodger D. Hale, 43; Melissa Johnson, 40; Linda D. Yount, 51; Kimberly Strean, 27; Johnny Houston, 52; and Deva J. Sutton, 49.

David Robert Young, and Angela Marie Young, 24, were charged with cultivating marijuana.