Published: March 18, 2009 09:34 am      

Neighbors’ tips lead to drug trafficking arrest

By Sean Bailey / Staff Writer

After receiving complaints about possible drug traffic, increased cruiser patrols by the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department caught an alleged drug trafficker and his allegedly intoxicated passenger Monday evening on Bee Creek Road.

“The neighbors have been calling because of some drug dealing that’s been going on. So I sent some deputies up there last night and had them stop cars,” Sheriff Lawrence Hodge said.

Hodge said his deputies pulled over a 1988 Toyota 4-Runner driven by Glen E. Hamilton, 49, of Parker’s Lake, at the corner of Bee Creek Road and Whippoorwill Road, near the area neighbors had been reporting the drug trafficking.

Deputies found $734 on Hamilton’s person, 31 pills believed to be Lorcet, and two hand guns — a .25-caliber and a .45-caliber — in his jacket pocket, according to Hodge.

Hamilton was charged with trafficking in a controlled substance, and concealment and carrying of a deadly weapon. Hamilton’s passenger, Bobby Vanover, 47, also of Parker’s Lake, was arrested and charged with public intoxication “for being high on the pills,” according to Hodge.

Hodge said he has had deputies patrolling the area for the last few days after receiving the trafficking reports from neighbors. Without the patrols, Hodge said catching the two may have taken a lot longer.

“Like I always say, ‘If you ain’t out there, you ain’t going to find them,’ So we try to get out there,” Hodge said.

The two McCreary County men are “well known” by the police.

Deputies Ben Hodge, Brian Lawson and Cecil Powers all assisted in the arrest and investigation.