BEATTYVILLE – A two-square-mile section of eastern Lee County was the target of an undercover drug investigation that led to 19 indictments.
Operation UNITE detectives, working closely with Lee Sheriff Wendell Childers, identified the high concentration of dealers in an area near the Breathitt County line.
“Sheriff Childers has been with UNITE on every case during the past eight months,” said Dan Smoot, deputy director of UNITE. “He is very concerned about the illegal drug trafficking taking place in his county and has facilitated our investigation.”
All but two of the cases involved the illegal sales of Percocet pills obtained from Florida, Smoot said, adding the other case involved the sale of Hydrocodone.
On Wednesday, Feb. 1, law enforcement officers from UNITE, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Beattyville Police Department, Kentucky State Police and the U.S. Marshal’s office set out to serve the arrest warrants.
As of 2:30 p.m. Wednesday 13 of the suspects had been charged. All but one person, who was served at the Perry County Detention Center, were taken to Three Forks Regional Jail after their arrest.
Arrested were:
• Josh Charles Angel, 24, Angel Drive, Beattyville, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Amanda Barker, 31, Coal Branch Road, Beattyville, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Ricky Barker, 32, Coal Branch Road, Beattyville, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Wally Bowman, 38, North Highway 708, Beattyville, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Laura Bryant, 41, Highland Turner Road, Beattyville, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Cathy Cole, 52, South Highway 11, Beattyville, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Brenda Couch, 54, Gilliam Road, Beattyville, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Charles Couch, 56, Gilliam Road, Beattyville, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Paul Moore, North Highway 708, Beattyville, trafficking in a simulated substance.
• Rosemary Noble, 35, West Highway 52, Beattyville, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Bridgett Turner, 48, Decorsey Road, Beattyville, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• John Turner, 29, East Highway 52, Beattyville, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Tina Turner, 29, East Highway 52, Beattyville, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
Police continue to search for the remaining six suspects.