State-Journal.com - Many elude drug sweep

Carolyn Lindle

Justin Sams

Andrew Trent

Roger Walls

Dean Wingate

Although several suspects eluded a drug sweep by the Kentucky State Police Wednesday, officers say they hope to make more arrests soon.

Sgt. Kenny Stewart, of KSP Post 12 in Frankfort, said the goal was to arrest 14 suspected drug dealers, but only seven were caught Wednesday. He said police hope to track down the remaining suspects in the next few days.

“Some things never go according to plan,” Stewart said. “You’re always disappointed when you don’t get them all.”

The roundup, assisted by Frankfort Police and the Franklin County Sheriff’s office, began at 6 a.m. Wednesday and focused on 12 suspected street-level dealers in Franklin County and two in Anderson County.

“These are the guys selling on the street corner to your kids as they walk home from school,” said Capt. Michael Crawford, Post 12 commander.

Alleged dealers taken to Franklin County Regional Jail, include:

>Bonnie Ruth, 22, two counts of second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (lortab) and trafficking in a legend drug. She’s jailed on a $10,000 full cash bond.

>Andrew Trent, 23, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (cocaine). He’s free after paying a $1,000 bond.

>Roger Walls, 44, two counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (methadone and lortab). He’s incarcerated on a $20,000 full cash bond.

>Robert Smith, 30, two counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (cocaine). He’s jailed on a $20,000 full cash bond.

>Carolyn Lindle, 47, two counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (lortab and methadone). She’s being held on a $10,000 full cash bond.

>Dean Wingate, 52, three counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (methadone, hydrocodone and lortab). He’s free after posting $1,000 bond.

>Justin Sams, 23, two counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (oxycodone and methadone) and two counts of second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (lorcet and lortab). He’s jailed on $20,000 full cash bond.

Most of the charges focused on prescription drugs, because that’s what’s most available, Crawford said.

Prescription drugs are sometimes stolen but dealers also pay people to go to Florida and obtain a prescription from a doctor.

The sweep did not include higher-level dealers, because those cases are handled by KSP’s special drug investigations branch, Crawford said.

Despite the recession, Crawford said the drug business in Central Kentucky is still strong.

The roundup comes on the heels of 24 arrests that resulted in 42 drug charges in Woodford County last week.

Crawford said he expects more arrests to be made as the sweep continues in other counties. Another sweep will be conducted near Christmas, he said.

In previous years, drug sweeps were conducted in a single day in multiple counties and sometimes netted as many as 60 or 70 suspects at once.

“Those days for us are over,” Crawford said.

Funding cuts and attrition through retirement have cut back the force, he said.