Drug task force nets 12 arrests

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Buckner

Callahan

Walker

Psimer

Kitchen

Lawhorn

Marshall

McGuire

Rose

Sloas

Williams

By Portia Williams

[email protected]

The FIVCO Area Drug Enforcement Task Force (FADE) collaborated with multiple law enforcement agencies to dismantle a drug ring, resulting in the arrest of 12 alleged drug dealers engaged in multiple trafficking charges in Carter County, Ky. on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s drug sweep is characterized by FIVCO FADE Task Force as a ‘criminal syndicate,’ which is the pushing of oxycodone, heroin, and various other controlled substances onto local streets.

According to reports, on Tuesday undercover agents from FADE, and deputies from the Carter County Sheriff’s Department, Grayson Police and Olive Hill Police Departments joined forces in a sweep which led to 12 arrests, tallying 26 separate charges. Authorities say the Tuesday, June 23, sting capped off a three-year investigation of a drug trafficking network which spanned across Carter County, Ky. and into other FADE surrounding areas.

Undercover police officers purchased oxycodone tablets, 10-30 milligrams on various occasions, as well as controlled substances. The average street value of the pills sold to officers averaged $50 each. Several thousand tablets were transferred during the course of the transactions.

One FADE undercover detective said children witnessed the drug trafficking activities.

“A lot of the time children were present during trafficking,” the FADE undercover detective said. “Deplorable conditions.”

FADE is composed of detectives from Russell, Raceland, Flatwoods, Grayson, Olive Hill and Vanceburg Police departments and Carter and Lewis County Sheriff’s Departments.

According to reports, the raids were in a few different areas in Olive Hill, but police say some ring leaders of a drug organization were arrested in a neighborhood off Route 2078. Police say drug dealers were bringing in large supplies of oxycodone, heroin and other dangerous drugs — about 800 and 1,000 dosage units of oxycodone alone every two weeks. The dealers sold the drugs to undercover cops.

J.E Crisp, director of FADE, said the investigation is ongoing, and more arrests are forthcoming.

“We had the arrest information on the Web, and then the Grayson Police served another indictment warrant later, which brought our total to (12) at the time, but we just didn’t have the information of that last person arrested,” Crisp said. “And we are continuing to add some more names today, there are several. It is a pretty well organized crime case.”

The 11 people identified by FADE were:

Gary Sloas, 49, charged with 1st degree trafficking in a controlled substance; persistent felony offender 1.

Jason Marshall, 36, of Olive Hill, charged with 1st degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

Timothy Lawhorn, 43, of Olive Hill, charged with 1st degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

Sammy Kitchen, 52, of Olive Hill, charged with 1st degree trafficking in a controlled substance; engaging in organized crime.

Greg Rose, 51, of Grayson, charged with two counts of 1st degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

Katherine Fultz Psimer, 45, of Olive Hill, charged with 1st degree trafficking in a controlled substance; engaging in organized crime.

Susan S. Callahan, 44, of Olive Hill, charged with 2nd degree trafficking in a controlled substance; three counts of theft by deception under $500 — cold checks and probation violation.

Karen S. Fields Walker, 45, of Olive Hill, charged with engaging in organized crime.

Walter Buckner, 58, of Olive Hill, charged with engaging in organized crime, two counts of first degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

John McGuire, 59, of Olive Hill, charged with engaging in organized crime; two counts of 1st degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

Steve Williams, 41, of Olive Hill, charged with three counts of 1st degree trafficking in a controlled substance; engaging in organized crime.

All of the suspects have been detained at the Carter County Detention Center.

FADE operates in Greenup, Carter and Lewis counties. To report any type of legal activity in these counties call the FADE office at 606-836-0442.

Reach Portia Williams at 740-353-3101, ext. 1929, or on Twitter @PortiaWillPDT.

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