Pubdate: Wed, 29 Aug 2001
Source: Bristol Herald Courier (VA)
Copyright: 2001 Bristol Herald Courier
Contact: http://www.bristolnews.com/contact.html
Website: http://www.bristolnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1211
Author: Keisha Bruce, Bristol Herald Courier

DRUG ROUNDUP NETS CHARGES

Officers hit the streets Tuesday night to arrest 33 people in the final 
stage of the Bristol Virginia Police Department's "Operation Rx" drug 
sting. "We have made undercover drug purchases from all these people ... in 
the last several months," Maj. Greg Baker said Tuesday afternoon. "They 
were indicted through a grand jury today.

This will be their first inclination that they are in trouble." Forty city 
and state police officers paired up and were given arrest packets 
containing personal information on and photos of those they were assigned 
to pick up. Cruisers left the parking lot of a city elementary school at 
about 5:30 p.m. and returned one by one throughout the night -- either with 
the alleged drug offenders or with empty back seats. "We basically do it as 
a sweep-type operation.

We send (the officers) out all at once. ... (Those charged) are brought to 
this central location because of the mass number.

It's easier to process them and book them here than at the city jail," 
Baker said. During the roundups, which are held once or twice a year, about 
75 percent of those indicted are found and arrested, he said. Others are 
found within a few days, and some turn themselves in, he added. The major 
said search warrants were executed if necessary, and four vehicles used in 
selling drugs were to be seized Tuesday. The roundup -- this year's first 
- -- was titled Operation Rx because prescription drugs, notably OxyContin, 
were targeted, Baker said. Ten people were charged with distributing the 
painkiller, and 18 were indicted on other prescription drug charges. 
Sixty-five counts were returned against 32 indicted. An unidentified 
Bristol Virginia teen-ager also was charged with one count of cocaine 
distribution, one count of larceny and one count of distributing an 
imitation controlled substance. The adults charged were: * Charles L. 
Wiley, 21, Asheville, N.C.; two counts cocaine distribution; * Martin A. 
Hughes, 30, Bristol, Va.; one count cocaine distribution; * Christopher L. 
Sykes, 25, Bristol, Tenn.; three counts cocaine distribution; * Barry L. 
Hooker, 47, Bristol, Va.; two counts OxyContin distribution; * Donald 
Moore, no age available, Bristol, Va.; one count OxyContin distribution, 
one count methadone distribution; * Emily M. Moore, 30, Bristol, Va.; one 
count OxyContin distribution; * Amber Martin, 19, Kingsport; one count 
OxyContin distribution, one count methadone distribution; * Shanna L. 
Turner, 23, Bristol, Va.; one count OxyContin distribution; * Travis 
Breeding, 20, Bristol, Va.; one count Demerol distribution, one count 
Demerol//Percocet distribution, one count Ritalin distribution; * Sandra M. 
Ketchum, 20, Bristol, Va.; two counts Ritalin distribution, one count 
Demerol//Percocet distribution; * Mark Anthony Sullins, 35, Bristol, Va.; 
one count Percocet distribution; * Nancy J. Poole, 33, Bristol, Va.; two 
counts Percocet distribution, one count OxyContin distribution; * Edward 
Lee King, 34, Bristol, Tenn.; one count cocaine distribution; * William R. 
Scates, 26, Bristol, Va.; two counts cocaine distribution; * Travis Ball, 
20, Bristol, Va.; one count morphine distribution; * Reggie L. Russaw, 34, 
Bristol, Va.; one count cocaine distribution; * Donna Turner, 42, Bristol, 
Va.; one count methadone distribution; * Bobby G. Dotson, 32, Bristol, Va.; 
one count OxyContin distribution, one count marijuana distribution; * Tony 
R. Cross, 45, Bristol, Va.; two counts marijuana distribution, one count 
Demerol distribution;    * Travis Buchanan, age unavailable, Bluff City; 
one count OxyContin distribution; * Wayne E. Starnes, 23, Bristol, Va.; two 
counts methadone distribution, one count marijuana distribution; * Eric 
Dakin, 34, Bristol, Va.; two counts marijuana distribution; * Oshia Baffa, 
22, Bristol, Va.; two counts OxyContin distribution, one count Dilaudid 
distribution, one count morphine distribution; * Darrell L. Cullop, 34, 
Bristol, Va.; one count morphine distribution; * David Wayne Williams, 37, 
Bristol, Va.; four counts cocaine distribution; * Christopher Halfacre, 19, 
Bristol, Tenn.; three counts cocaine distribution; * Eric Adams, age 
unavailable, Bristol, Va.; one count morphine distribution, one count 
OxyContin distribution; * Jason Hahn, 27, Bristol, Va.; one count morphine 
distribution; * Dock Hunt, 33, Bristol, Va.; one count cocaine 
distribution; * Sarah Gibson, 24, Bristol, Va.; one count methamphetamine 
distribution, one count cocaine distribution; * Victor T. McDavid, 22, 
Bristol, Va.; two counts methamphetamine distribution, one count marijuana 
distribution; * And John "Tony" Purcell, 33, Bristol, Tenn.; three counts 
cocaine distribution.
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