A Lexington man allegedly paid six people to go to a Jacksonville, Florida pain clinic, and he even offered them a cut of the profits he made after selling the drugs that they were prescribed, according to Williamsburg police.
After their vehicle was stopped near Williamsburg Thursday afternoon on the way back from Florida, police seized nearly 900 pills with a street value of nearly $20,000, according to Williamsburg Public Affairs Officer Shawn Jackson.
"On Thursday, April 15th, the Williamsburg Police Department continued their fight against the transportation of narcotics back into Kentucky from Florida pain clinics via I-75, better known, as of late, as the ‘Pill Pipeline," Jackson said in a press release.
"Through the investigation, it was determined that the group had been to a Florida pain clinic, and was on the way back to Lexington. The investigation also revealed that the trip had in fact been sponsored by the driver of the vehicle in exchange for half of each person’s narcotics. It is believed that the pills were being brought back to Kentucky to be sold on the street."
Jackson charged Daniel Comley, 45, of Lexington, with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol/drugs and first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
Jackson also charged the following six people with public intoxication, including: Virgil L. Creech, 42, and Evelyn M. Creech, 47, both of Nicholasville; Terry R. Burton, 53, Mary Jane Burton, 50, Tina Gain Henson, 34, and Tanya Renee Edwards, 30, all of Lexington.
About 4 p.m. Thursday, Jackson received information that several subjects were inside Hometown BP off Exit 11 and appeared to be highly under the influence.
Prior to police arriving, the caller told Jackson that the subjects had left the parking lot heading north on I-75.
Jackson relayed the information to officers working criminal interdiction on I-75, and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement K-9 Officer Landry Collett spotted the vehicle going north and observed it driving carelessly before conducting a traffic stop, according to the press release.
Collett stopped the 1993 green Chevrolet van near mile marker 15 about 4 p.m., and by 4:20 p.m. seven occupants in the vehicle had been arrested.
Six of seven passengers failed field sobriety tests and had taken Oxycodone and Xanax, Jackson wrote on arrest citations.
An eighth occupant was a disabled female, who Williamsburg police took to the homeless shelter, Jackson said.
Comley also failed field sobriety tests and told police that he had smoked marijuana and had been taking Oxycodone, according to his arrest citation.
Police determined through the investigation that Comley allegedly paid the others to go to Florida, including all their medical costs, such as doctor’s visits and the cost of medication, Jackson wrote on the arrest citation.
He also allegedly agreed to split part of the profits after he sold the drugs in Lexington, according to the arrest citation.
All seven were arrested without incident, and lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center.
Jackson is continuing the investigation, and said information has been forward to the DEA, which has already taken one similar case and could adopt this one also.
Other officers assisted with the investigation including: Chief Wayne Bird, K-9 Officer Brandon Prewitt, and Kentucky State Police K-9 Officers Jason Denny and Jason McCowan.
