Published: March 27, 2008 10:43 am            

Eight arrested in Laurel drug roundup

By Brad Hicks / Staff Writer

Several suspected drug traffickers received a rude awakening Wednesday morning as law enforcement agencies conducted a drug roundup in Laurel County.

The information on the alleged drug pushers was compiled over the course of several months, from December 2007 until recently, through the purchasing of controlled substances by law enforcement from those suspected.

“We had confidential witnesses making controlled buys,” said Det. Brad Mitchell of the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office.

By early Wednesday afternoon, eight arrests had been made and more are anticipated.

“Others are being looked for at this time,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell said when the office receives tips from citizens, they are usually already aware of of a suspected dealer’s activities.

“A lot of times we have the information and are currently working on it,” Mitchell said. “Sometimes it takes a little while to do something. It takes a little while to make buys from them.”

Laurel County Sheriff Fred Yaden said all the alleged drug dealers apprehended Wednesday had been confirmed by his office as traffickers.

“All these people are ones we made buys from so we know they’re in the business,” he said.

Despite the fact more arrests seeming to come from the Cold Hill and Colony areas, Mitchell said there was not a specific area that the roundup was focused on.

“They were pretty much scattered,” Mitchell said.

Yaden said the goal of these drug roundups is simple.

“We’re trying to cut down on drug trafficking as much as possible in this area,” he said.

Those arrested were:

• Ursula Boshers (Woods), 42, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (methamphetamine)

• Randy Taylor, 34, third-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (two counts)

• Ervel Wayne Yocum, 51, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance Oxycontin (two counts)

• Scott Floyd, 37, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (methamphetamine)

• Jack “Redtop” Bowling, 57, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (methamphetamine)

• Dianne O’Dell, 57, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance

• Pauline Helton, 52, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, trafficking in a legend drug

• Robert Asher, no age given, convicted felon in possession of a firearm, possession of marijuana

Those assisting the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office in the roundup were the Kentucky State Police, Operation UNITE and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

        

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