ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, September 12, 1996 TAG: 9609130048
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: PULASKI
SOURCE: LISA K. GARCIA STAFF WRITER
A grand jury has issued 55 indictments against 31 people in connection with drug-related crimes in Pulaski County, authorities said Wednesday.
The indictments stemmed from a nine-month undercover investigation by the Pulaski County Drug Task Force.
The joint effort by the Pulaski police, the county Sheriff's Office, state police, Dublin police and the Alcoholic Beverage Control Department targeted street-level drug dealers as well as mid-level distributors, Pulaski Chief Herb Cooley said.
No one was calling the roundup a definitive victory against drug dealers. Commonwealth's Attorney Everett Shockley said if all 31 people are convicted there will be more than that number ready to step into the dealers' jobs.
"Unfortunately this is a reflection of slipping morals in the country," Shockley said. "There will always be somebody to take their place."
The indictments included charges for the distribution and possession of marijuana and crack cocaine, court records show. Shockley called the contraband the "drugs of choice" for the area.
"This represents a fraction of the what's going on," he said.
Other drug charges listed on the indictments were distribution of methamphetamine and distribution of prescription drugs as well as related misdemeanor and felony charges.
Cooley said the operation took thousands of hours of work to complete.
"These operations are not undertaken lightly due to the danger involved, the burden it places on the officers involved in that their family lives suffer due to the increased hours, the burden it places on departments in the thousands of man hours expended in addition to other cases being worked at the same time," Cooley said.
Despite the seemingly uphill war against drug dealers, Cooley said police benefit from the undercover work in more ways than just the recent indictments.
The benefits also come "in the form of information we receive on drug trends in dealing, usage, street costs and other individuals involved," he said. The task force also seized several vehicles, cash and other property for which Cooley did not have a specific cash value.
Austin Hall, assistant special agent in charge for the state police, said 28 of the 31 suspects had been arrested by 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Cooley said the roundup of suspected drug dealers is not an annual event in Pulaski County, but does occur about every 18 months.
"This is certainly not the end or total product of our work, but it is a milestone," Cooley said.
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