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

DATE: SATURDAY, June 26, 1993                   TAG: 9306260047
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

FRANKLIN COUNTY CRACK STING NETS 19

Local and state authorities swept through Franklin County Friday arresting 19 people in a crack cocaine sting.

Actually, only 16 were wanted on drug charges, but the sweep yielded fugitives from New York and Lynchburg, and a Franklin County native wanted on federal charges.

Franklin County Sheriff's Lt. E.A. Hunt said the sweep started around 6 a.m. and included about 30 officers from the Virginia State Police, the Rocky Mount Police Department and Franklin County Sheriff's Office.

The sting wrapped up a four-month investigation in which an undercover agent infiltrated a drug network operating around Rocky Mount.

As a result of the investigation, a Franklin County Circuit Court grand jury handed down 26 indictments, which led to Friday's arrests.

Most of those arrested were suspected of being street level dealers, Hunt said.

by CNB