More than a dozen Magoffin County residents suspected of either transporting or reselling prescription pills from Florida were targeted for arrest June 14 in a roundup conducted by Operation UNITE.
Most of the cases involved the drug Roxicodone, a form of Oxycodone, a narcotic pain reliever that works by dulling the pain perception center in the brain, said Dan Smoot, UNITE’s law enforcement director. At higher doses the drug can impact the body’s respiratory and circulatory systems.
“Some of these people were going three and four times a month and will typically average 600 pills at a time,” Smoot said. “Multiply that by 52 weeks, then by the number of people involved, and you begin to realize the impact here in Eastern Kentucky. That pill has absolutely taken over.”
UNITE detectives made 25 cases on 15 people identified during the 10-month undercover investigation leading to the indictments. “They are scattered from one end of the county to the other,” Smoot said.
“Many of the cases were developed as a result of tips left by concerned citizens about suspicious activity. We appreciate all calls to our toll-free tipline – 1-866-424-4382,” Smoot said. “We are aggressively continuing to investigate these and other individuals and additional arrests are likely in the future.”
Several of those wanted were picked up over the weekend. Deputies from the Magoffin County Sheriff’s Office assisted UNITE in the roundup.
As of 2:30 p.m. police had made located and arrested nine individuals:
• Amanda E. Hurley, age 34, Broadway Street, Salyersville, one count first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Jesse A. Moreno, age 23, Highway 338, Lick Branch Road, Salyersville, five counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Mikel Porter, age 54, Porter Road, Salyersville, one count first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Tommy R. Risner, age 60, Sugar Camp Road, Salyersville, three counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Kenneth Rowe, age 43, Royalton Street, Salyersville, two counts first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Herbert Jerome Saylor, age 39, May Branch, Salyersville, one count first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Tiffany S. Slusher, age 28, Grape Creek Road, Salyersville, one count first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Joshua B. Whitaker, age 23, Railroad Street, Royalton, one count first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Jack D. Whitt, age 27, Coal Branch Road, Salyersville, one count first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
Suspects were lodged in the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center in Johnson County.
Law enforcement officers were continuing to try and locate the six remaining individuals Monday afternoon.