Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 17, 1990 TAG: 9004170682
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: NEAL THOMPSON NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
By 11 a.m., 12 people had been arrested and were being held at the City Jail. Two others were expected to be arrested this afternoon at their jobs in Blacksburg, police said.
All those indicted live in Radford except one who lives in Giles County. One is a Radford University student, two are women and one is a 16-year-old.
Police also arrested one person who had not been indicted. Police searching the home of one of the suspects found drugs in his possession.
The arrests came after a six-month undercover investigation of drug sales in the city. Radford Lt. Jackie Roop, one of two investigators who spearheaded the operation, said the drug sales they observed over the past six months were not limited to the area near Radford University.
"It was all over the city," Roop said.
Part of this operation included the first crack cocaine conviction. Two weeks ago, a 14-year-old was convicted of possession of crack and was sent to a juvenile correctional facility in Richmond, Commonwealth's Attorney Randal Duncan said this morning.
"There's been crack in the city for the past eight to 10 months. But that was the first conviction," Roop said.
Police confiscated large amounts of cocaine, marijuana and LSD and seized four cars that had been used to sell drugs to undercover officers and a police informant. Police also recovered thousands of dollars, some of which had been used by police to buy drugs from suspected dealers.
Radford Chief A.C. Earles said the operation was one of the most expensive. It was jointly funded by city and state police.
"This lengthy and extensive investigation of drug trafficking revealed widespread criminal activity," Earles said. "And these arrests are expected to significantly reduce the flow of illicit substances" into the city.
Almost exactly a year ago, a similar undercover drug sweep by Radford and state police netted eight suspects, five of them Radford University students. Seven pleaded guilty in January to charges of selling cocaine and marijuana, and one of the students was acquitted by a jury in September.
Radford Maj. Jonny Butler, sipping coffee this morning in the crowded Police Department offices as handcuffed suspects were taken before a magistrate, joked that they should make it an annual event. "We'll call this one the 2nd Annual Radford Drug Fair," he said.
by CNB