Published: November 06, 2009 12:56 pm      

100 drug dealers targeted

Operation UNITE detectives targeted more than 100 individuals from 10 Southern and Eastern Kentucky counties as part of last week’s crackdown on interstate drug trafficking.

The drug roundup, the largest in state history, was called “Operation Flamingo Road” because of the thousands of prescription pills being obtained in Florida and brought back to the state for distribution.

A total of 518 people are being sought by federal, state and local law enforcement officers in the roundup, which began Oct. 28. Most will face state trafficking charges, but 36 individuals were indicted on federal offenses.

More than two-thirds of the 34 counties where arrest warrants were obtained are in Kentucky’s Fifth Congressional District – at one time called the prescription pain pill capital of the nation. By far, the heaviest concentration of UNITE cases centered on five counties – Menifee, Wolfe, Rockcastle, Powell and Johnson, said Dan Smoot, UNITE’s law enforcement director.

“The collaboration among law enforcement agencies during the past three years is unprecedented,” Smoot said, noting UNITE detectives worked hand-in-hand with the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, Kentucky State Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Rockcastle County Sheriff’s Office.

“There was a lot of sharing of information and coordination of efforts throughout the investigation,” Smoot said, noting that several of UNITE’s cases were adopted for federal prosecution.

At least 71 of the individuals sought by UNITE had been charged as of Monday afternoon. Police are continuing to try and locate the remaining suspects.

By county, those arrested by UNITE are:

Floyd County

• Jamie Blankenship, age 31, two counts third-degree possession of a controlled substance.

Harlan County

• Pam Griffith, age 45, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

Johnson County

• Dean Wayne “Pokie” Wright, age 37, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

Leslie County

• Troy Bowling, age 52, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Peggy Eversole, age 41, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Bobby Johnson, age 41, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

Menifee County

Note: 17 of these individuals were arrested as part of a June 10 drug roundup by UNITE.

• Sherry L. Bargo, age 40, two counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Chasity Bush Bowling, age 25, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Norman L. Bowling, age 25, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Brittany Caudill, age 19, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Jason Centers, age 28, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• John D. Chaffin, age 31, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Joseph E. Cooper, age 37, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Eric L. Craig, age 30, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and second-degree persistent felony offender.

• Wendy Green Donathan, age 23, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Brad Hall, age 38, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Squire Greg Hall, age 48, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Shirley Halsey, age 58, first-degree conspiracy to traffic in a controlled substance.

• Bradley K. Harris Jr., age 32, six counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Misty Himes, age 29, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Kenneth Jenkins, age 35, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and third-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Sandra Johnson, age 46, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Jeremy Martin, age 24, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and second-degree persistent felony offender.

• Jeffrey W. Nolan, age 49, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Mike D. Nolan, age 32, two counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Steve L. Nolan, age 44, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Franky L. Randall, age 22, two counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Randall R. Reid, age 39, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Dustin A. Roberts, age 26, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• William Rowe, age 43, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Jarrod M. Townsend, age 20, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and conspiracy to traffic in a controlled substance.

• Anthony J. Wells, age 25, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and second-degree persistent felony offender.

• Thomas R. Wells, age 29, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.



Powell County

• Floyd Grover Johnson, age 55, three counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and first-degree possession of drug paraphernalia.

• Freddie Johnson, age 35, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Rita Johnson, age 52, three counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Ronnie Johnson, age 35, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and three counts second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Sandra Johnson, age 46, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and three counts second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Shawna Johnson, age 27, two counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Larry Napier, age 64, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Tammy Pike, age 49, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Connie Spencer, age 35, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Doug Scott, age 45, three counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Rejenna L. Scott, age 39, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.



Rockcastle County

• Phillip Brandon Barnett, age 27, two counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Charles Cunigan, age 44, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

Rowan County

• James Carroll, age 32, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and third-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Myka N. Mills, age 19, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Trisha A. Wallace, age 33, two counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

Wolfe County

• Tammy Baisden, age 31, two counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Audi Banks Jr., age 25, two counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Carl Banks, age 38, two counts second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Stephanie Bertram, age 25, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Keith Bradley, age 34, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Samantha Campbell, age 20, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• David Clifford, age 40, two counts second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Chad Deer, age 22, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Pamela Harris, age 45, three counts third-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Cynthia Michelle “Trinity” Deer, age 24, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Adam Gilbert, age 32, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Michael Gilbert, age 20, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Brent Howe, age 37, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• William James “Jamie” Huff, age 33, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Michael Johnson, age 19, two counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Deborah Ann King, age 31, two counts second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Kevin McVey, age 26, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and third-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Phyllis Napier, age not available, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Jamie Phipps, age 27, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Jason Phipps, age 30, three counts second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• James Matthew Tolson, age 27, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

• Misty Tolson, age 28, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

Two other arrests were made in Wolfe County that were not connected to the Florida investigation:

• Chad L. Dickey, age 19, trafficking in marijuana less than 8 ounces and trafficking in a controlled substance within 1,000 yards of a school.

• Elroy Watson, age 51, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and trafficking in a controlled substance within 1,000 yards of a school.

For more information about Operation UNITE visit their website at www.operationunite.org.