A six-month investigation by Williamsburg Police and Whitley County Sheriff’s Deputies culminated Wednesday in a roundup of 20 suspected drug dealers.
Just after 6 a.m., officers and deputies with the support of Kentucky State Police spread out across the county from Corbin to Jellico to pick up the suspects.
Williamsburg Police Chief Wayne Bird said the suspects are accused of selling a variety of prescription pills, mostly painkillers.
By 2 p.m., law enforcement had apprehended 13 of the suspects.
Arrested were: David Centers, Roger Keith, Ralph Rains, Ronald Ball, Lois Jones Vanover, Anita Brown, Scott Jones, Johnny Hubbard, Jeff Combs, Connie Reeves, Christy Stephens, John Kanter and Raymond Douglas.
Sheriff Colan Harrell offered a bit of advice to the suspected dealers that have not yet been apprehended and any drug dealers that didn’t make this first list.
"Quit," Harrell said, noting there will be more roundups in the future.
Harrell added that the drug problem in Whitley County will only be eliminated with the help of the public. He asked anyone with information about suspected drug dealers to contact the sheriff’s office, 549-6006, promising that any tips will be thoroughly investigated.
Bird added that with as long as he has known Harrell and worked with him in law enforcement, the dealers and the public should take him at his word.
"This man is hard on drugs," Bird said of Harrell.
