Published: November 12, 2009 08:43 am      

B’ville police arrest seven in drug roundup

By Samantha Swindler / Managing Editor

Barbourville police officers have so far arrested seven people as part of a drug roundup begun early Tuesday morning.

Six were arrested during the 6 a.m. roundup, all for trafficking in controlled substance charges ranging from the illegal sale of Xanax to oxycodone.

Another suspect was arrested Wednesday.

Brian Senters with the Barbourville Police Department said all the arrests came after several controlled drug purchases by police informants. He said several more related arrests are likely within the next week.

“One or two of them were selling their own prescriptions,” Senters said. “The Oxycotin we believe is coming out of Michigan.”

Much of the Oxycotin (also known by its generic form, oxycodone) and Xanax illegally sold in Knox County is being brought into the state by bulk quantities via “drug pipelines” from Michigan and Florida, Senters said.

The Barbourville Police Department’s drug tip line at 546-DRUG has helped lead to several arrests, and Senters said it’s “been ringing off the hook” since Tuesday’s roundup.

He asked citizens to be patient as the department works to build cases against suspected dealers.

“A lot of people who are selling illegal drugs, we know who they are, we know where they are doing it... it’s being able to build a case — that’s a different story,” he said.

Those arrested Tuesday and Wednesday were:

• Harrison Moe Smith, 52, Groler, second-degree trafficking

• Tammy Henson, 45, Girdler, second-degree trafficking

• Junior Ray Sizemore, 50, Barbourville, second-degree trafficking

• Earnest Allen McIntyre, 46, Gray, first-degree trafficking

• Johnny Lee Rice, 57, Artemus, third-degree trafficking (two counts), trafficking within 1,000 yards of a school

• Clarence J. Smith, 66, Barbourville, first-degree trafficking

• Beverly Sue Warren, 42, Gray, (charges not listed)

Ten police officers, including Kentucky State Police Det. Jason York, assisted in the roundup.