Suspects are taken to for booking during a drug round-up by the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department Tuesday morning.
The reactions varied as police knocked on their doors with arrest warrants and handcuffs Tuesday morning.
One woman started crying and told police that she had just gotten out of jail.
One man told police that his mother called to tell him that police were coming after deputies had unsuccessfully gone to her house first looking for him. "I know I done wrong so take me to jail," he could be heard telling the sheriff.
In all, officers from three departments in addition to two constables hit the streets Tuesday morning trying to locate and arrest 15 people from the greater Williamsburg area.
What the individuals had in common besides dogs at most of their residences – and in one case, dogs, a cat, chickens an a turkey – was they were wanted on drug trafficking charges following a Whitley County Sheriff’s Department investigation.
By lunch time, authorities had apprehended eight of the wanted suspects.
"I feel like we are making a dent. I think we are making drugs more scarce. We will continue to have one of these every month," said Whitley County Sheriff Colan Harrell.
Harrell said that the arrests were the result of a nearly year long investigation that involved confidential informants allegedly making undercover drug purchases from the suspects.
The drugs purchased during this round-up involved prescription pills primarily pain pills, Harrell said.
"That is about it any more. You see some marijuana but today all we had was some pain pills," he said.
Those arrested before noon included:
• Maranda Broyles, 26, of Mount Morgan Road – second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Mitchell Nunn, 21, of Mount Morgan Road – second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Leann Perkins, 27, of Moore Lane – second-degree with trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Danny McFarland, 37, of the Mackey Avenue – first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Thelma Lawson, 29, of Louden Road – second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Wesley Croley, 26, of Hwy. 904 – first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Billy Anderson, 36, of Sandy Branch Spur Road – second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Clarence S. Perry, 54, of White Oak Road, – second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
Tuesday afternoon, sheriff’s deputies arrested one other suspect, Chris Laster, 38, of 1205 South Second Street, Williamsburg charging him with first and second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
The suspects were all lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center.
Authorities are still searching for six suspects wanted in connection with the investigation and are asking for the publics’ help to locate them.
The suspects still wanted by police include:
• Lester Watson, 37, of Hanging Rock, Williamsburg – first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Roger Johnson, 46, of Raintree Street, Williamsburg – second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Mark Lawson, 29, of Louden Road – second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Chris Rogers, 29, of Old Corbin Pike – second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• James Morris, 25, of Scottish Inn, Williamsburg – first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Regina Rider, 39, of 790 Highway 26 – second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
Anyone with information about the suspects’ whereabouts is asked to contact the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department at 549-6006 during regular business hours or 549-6017 after regular business hours and on weekends.
Constable Lonnie Foley, Constable Andy Moses, Kentucky State Police Troopers Mike Witt and Stacey Walker and members of the Williamsburg Police Department assisted sheriff’s deputies with the round-up.
Funding for the investigation was provided by Operation Unite.
