Drug Bust

[Get em baby]

Franklin County authorities began making arrests Thursday morning after 24 people were indicted on charges stemming from a seven month pill pipeline investigation.

Franklin County Sheriff Pat Melton says the investigation into the importation and trafficking of prescription medication began early last March. The investigation revealed that a number of individuals traveled to Florida to obtain Percocet and other controlled substances. They were financed by others, and large amounts of drugs were transported from Florida into Franklin County and sold illegally.

On Wednesday, an indictment was handed down charging 24 people with engaging in organized crime/criminal syndicate, a Class B felony offense carrying a penalty of between 10 and 20 years in prison.

Melton called it the largest case in his career.

"This team has been working very aggressively on the Florida pill pipeline. This organization has been run just like a major corporation," he said. "The CEO of this organization was Neil Clark. Neil Clark's organization has imported thousands of pills to distribute on the streets of Frankfort - Franklin County. We are very pleased to put this illegal operation out of business and off the streets of Frankfort - Franklin County."

Indicted were:

Neil Clark, 36, Jesse C. Quire, 39, Henry Earl Penn, 47, David Hendershot, 30, Jessica Poole, 34, Billy Temple, 37, Chris Kincaid, 37, Tiffany Kincaid, 29, Vernard Kincaid, 42, Timothy Durham, 42, Chad Maupin, 38, Michael Tincher, 54, Jerry Collins, 43, Michael Sullivan, 28 Thomas A. Nicholas, 24, Christy Smith, 38, Danny Manley, 34, Devin Allen, 27, and Byron Haliburton, 24, all of Frankfort.

Also indicted were:

Warren Barmore, 37, of Lexington, Christopher Sudduth, 29, of Lawrenceburg, Charlie Singer, 45, of Stamping Ground, Timothy Florian, 49, of Versailles and Calvin Reece, 42, of Bagdad.

The Franklin County Sheriff's Office, Frankfort Police Department, the Franklin County Commonwealth Attorney's Office and the Franklin County Attorney's Office, along with the Broward County, Fla. Sheriff's Office worked together on the investigation dubbed "Operation Maverick".

Melton says the investigation continues and he expects additional arrests.

[who]

Pill Billies!