Published: January 19, 2009 08:19 am      

Raids target N. Corbin suspects

By Samantha Swindler / Managing Editor

Of 40 people wanted on drug charges, 32 were arrested early Friday morning during a roundup conducted by the Kentucky State Police. Most of those arrested lived in North Corbin, several in the same apartment complexes.

When police came knocking at his apartment just after 6 a.m. Friday, 28-year-old Dustin Warren (wanted on four drug trafficking charges) allegedly fled into the woods in single digit temperatures.

“He jumped out of the second story window and run off,” said KSP Trooper Don Trosper, adding that Warren was later spotted by police walking back from the woods near Pine Grove II Apartments. He was arrested later that day after officers found him at a relative’s home.

School closures made some arrests more difficult, as officers had to call on child protective services or relatives to take some small children found at at least one apartment.

At least six suspects sought lived in the Pine Grove II and Rose Ann Apartments on American Greeting Road in North Corbin, where officers parked a Whitley County Detention Center van to handle the number of suspects.

One neighbor said the area is home to regular drug activity.

“I have a 2-year-old so it’s hard, you know what I’m saying,” said Robin Rookard, who lives in the Rose Ann Apartments. “We don’t come outside a whole lot. It’s a good place to live once everything gets taken care of. It’d be quiet if it wasn’t for all the drug people... I don’t like waking up to nine state troopers sitting outside in the parking lot.”

Rookard said her landlord tries to keep the place clean, but said her neighbor found a needle in the complex playground.

“Look at the people who walk around here, they look like drug addicts... Not all of them, but people walking around falling down in the parking lot, it’s kind of obvious,” she said.

Others were arrested at homes and trailers in North Corbin; one arrest was made on Baker Ridge Road in Keavy.

Officers from KSP London Post, KSP Harlan Post, the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, the Corbin Police Department, Williamsburg Police Department, Laurel County Sheriff’s Office and Laurel County Constables Denver Mays and Lonnie Abrams participated in the round up.

“This has been about a nine month investigation that’s led to the arrests today,” Trosper said. “The investigation began in March of 2008... People always wonder why we don’t just go in and get them. It takes a while to conduct a good and proper investigation.”

Those arrested Friday were:

• Melinda L. Grubb, 33, of Corbin, charged with one count Trafficking a Controlled Substance 1ST Degree and two counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 2ND Degree in Laurel County.

• Freddie Jones, 61, of Corbin, charged with three counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 1ST Degree in Laurel County.

• Rocky L. Johnson, 27, of Corbin, charged with three counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 1ST Degree in Laurel County.

• Tommy E. Walker, 36, of Corbin, charged with three counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 2ND Degree in Laurel County.

• Dustin L. Warren, 28, of Corbin, charged with two counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 1ST Degree and two counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 2ND Degree in Laurel County.

• Jennifer Burke, 32, of Corbin, charged with two counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 1ST Degree in Laurel County and two counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 1ST Degree in Whitley County.

• Roy E. Blevins, 31, of Corbin, charged with two counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 1ST Degree in Laurel County and one count of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 1ST Degree in Whitley County.

• Judy P. Wilder, 55, of Keavy, charged with three counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 2ND Degree in Laurel County.

• Donnie M. Messer, 52, of Corbin, charged with three counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 1ST Degree in Laurel County.

• Sam C. Gilbert, 72, of Corbin, charged with two counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 1ST Degree in Laurel County and one count of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 2ND Degree in Whitley County.

• Henry Scalf, 41, of Corbin, charged with one count of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 2ND Degree in Laurel County and one count of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 2ND Degree in Whitley County.

• Russell R. Hacker, 37, of Corbin, charged with two counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 2ND Degree in Laurel County.

• Robert W. Reed, 47, of Corbin, charged with three counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 1ST Degree in Laurel County.

• Shana B. Lowe, 33, of Trosper (in Knox County), charged with one count of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 1ST Degree in Laurel County.

• Kathy Helton, 54, of Corbin, charged with one count Trafficking a Controlled Substance 1ST Degree and two counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 2ND Degree in Laurel County.

• David Petty, 28, of Corbin, charged with three counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 2ND Degree in Laurel County.

• Steve Helton, 32, of Woodbine, charged with one count of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 1ST Degree in Whitley County.

• Julie Helton, 26, of Woodbine, charged with two counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 1ST Degree in Whitley County.

• Jesse Baker, 29, of Woodbine, charged with two counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 1ST Degree and on count of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 2ND Degree in Whitley County.

• Edith L. Petty, 31, of Corbin, charged with three counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 2ND Degree in Laurel County.

• Sherry Kilburn, 51, of Corbin, charged with three counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 2ND Degree in Laurel County.

• Steven M. Lewis, 21, of London, charged with one count of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 1ST Degree in Laurel County.

• Floyd C. Sizemore, 31, of Corbin, charged with three counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 2ND Degree in Laurel County.

• Matthew D. Fore, 30, of Corbin, charged with one count of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 1ST Degree in Laurel County.

• Lois A. Maxwell, 36, of Corbin, charged with one count of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 1ST Degree in Laurel County.

• Charles D. Warren, 32, of Corbin, charged with one count Trafficking a Controlled Substance 1ST Degree and two counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 2ND Degree in Laurel County.

• Tommy Thompson, 29, of Corbin, charged with one count Trafficking a Controlled Substance 1ST Degree and two counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 2ND Degree in Whitley County.

• Justin Lambdin, 23, of Rockhold, charged with three counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 1ST Degree in Whitley County.

• Brian C. Carroll, 22, of Corbin, charged with one count of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 2ND Degree in Whitley County.

• Robin Hill, 50, of Corbin, charged with one count of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 2ND Degree in Whitley County.

• James O. Harp Jr., 50, of Woodbine, charged with three counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 2ND Degree in Whitley County.

• Patricia Potter, 43, of Woodbine, charged with two counts of Trafficking a Controlled Substance 2ND Degree in Whitley County.

Additional arrests are expected.