ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, June 19, 1993                   TAG: 9306190134
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY  
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PULASKI                                LENGTH: Medium


PULASKI COUNTY GRAND JURY RETURNS COCAINE INDICTMENTS

Prompted by complaints from the black community about crack cocaine sales in their neighborhoods, the Pulaski County Drug Task Force has charged 13 people with distributing or possessing cocaine.

A special grand jury convened Friday morning to consider the charges against the individuals, and returned 26 indictments against 14 people.

Claude Gallimore, an assistant special agent with the Wytheville division of state police, said some of the complaints were phoned into a state drug-tip hotline.

"Operation Hard Rock," targeted both major and street-level crack cocaine dealers in Pulaski County and the towns of Pulaski and Dublin.

Most sellers gravitated to the downtown streets of Pulaski, Dobbins said.

The task force is composed of members the county Sheriff's Office, the Pulaski and Dublin police departments, state police and ABC agents.

Dobbins said the buys centered on rock cocaine, and it was the largest amount of crack ever confiscated in Pulaski County. The number of rocks was not immediately available.

Authorities identified Elliott Thomas Webb Jr., of the 700 block of Maple Street, Pulaski, as the "kingpin" of the drug trade they infiltrated.

He faces one indictment charging him with distribution of cocaine on March 23.

Here is a list of others indicted by the grand jury Friday and the charges against them:

Mark Anthony Fountain, 400 block of Spring Street, Pulaski, possession and distribution of cocaine on Dec. 11, 1992.

Vernon Lee Garner, 23, 500 block of Highland Terrace, Pulaski, distribution of cocaine on Dec. 4, 1992.

Anthony Jerome Goins, 500 block of McDowell Avenue, Roanoke, distribution of cocaine on Feb. 4.

Adrian Neil Harvey, 2100 block of Meadowbrook Road, Roanoke, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of marijuana on Dec. 16, 1992.

Brian Fitzgerald Kyle, 26, 1000 block of Jackson Avenue, Pulaski, four counts of distributing cocaine in January and February.

Brenda Leigh Mattox, 24, 800 block of Highland Terrace, Pulaski, six counts of distributing cocaine from December to February.

Connie Diane Webb, 900 block of Jackson Avenue, Pulaski, possession of cocaine on Dec. 11, 1992.

Michael Anthony Webb, 900 block of Jackson Avenue, Pulaski, two counts of distributing cocaine in January.

Michael Lynn Willis, 1600 block of Salem Avenue, Roanoke, two counts of distributing cocaine in February.

Georgette Smith, 700 block of Jackson Avenue, Pulaski, one count of possession of cocaine on Feb. 5.

Edward Kelly Carter, 45, 100 block of Meadowview, Pulaski, one count of possession of cocaine on Feb. 19.

John Patrick Boysaw, 29, 700 block of Maple Street, one count of distributing marijuana on May 17.

Richard Walter Redd, 800 block of Fourth Street, Pulaski, one charge of petty larceny on Jan. 28.


Memo: ***CORRECTION***

by CNB