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Show dicers arrest over 40 JBeissra people in leorgesv vhree-counvy drug bus? A six-month undercover drug investigation in-vestigation involving five law enforcement enforce-ment agencies resulted in the arrest of Uintah Basin residents Wednesday for selling or possession of a controlled substance. Warrants for arrest of 11 more individuals in-dividuals are still being served in connection connec-tion with the investigation. Their arrests re made later in the week. Success of the drug bust was attributed to the cooperation of law enforcement agencies in Uintah and Duchesne Counties Coun-ties with state narcotic officers. Up to lour state undercover officers have been making purchases of controlled substances in the Basin over the past six months. Arrests Wednesday evening hinged on the purchase of half a pound of cocaine Irom a local woman, Kathleen Cluff , age about 30. The purchase was made about 9:45 p.m. in Heber City, Wednesday and her arrest was reported to the Vernal City Police about 10:05 p.m. Twenty-five officers of-ficers from the Vernal Police Department, Depart-ment, Uintah County Sheriff's Department Depart-ment and Naples City Police, who had ten on standby since about 8:30 a.m. were divided into six teams to serve 52 warrants of arrest. They were dispatched shortly after the call from Heber City. "We awaited for her arrest, not because the others centered on it, but because the other arrests would jeopardize jeopar-dize the buyer," Robert Downard, Vernal Ver-nal City Police Chief, said "Anyone that can turn a pound of cocaine co-caine that fast, is a significant buy," said Bill Riggs, State Narcotics regional supervisor. "We are talking big bucks." Oiginally $70,000 was shown as entice-nat, entice-nat, but later the buy for the cocaine us $17,000 which would have a significantly larger, street value, stimated at over $80,000. Thirty-eight arrests, including one juvenile, were made before 2 a.m. Sheriff Arden Stewart said that the facilities at the Uintah County Jail were filled to the maximum. "We had to bring out extra blankets and mattresses," he said. The cases will start appearing in cirucuit and district courts in ten days to two weeks. "They're really going to clog the system," said County Attorney Mark Nash. The majority of the persons taken on the warrants are facing felony charges for distribution of a controlled substance for gain, Nash said. A total of 97 charges (several people have more than one account) , are included in the 52 warrants. Most of the buys were an ounce or gram of cocaine or marijuana. Some LSD and phylocybin arrests were made. Although most of the arrests were for small amounts of drugs, officers said the bust was worthwhile. "Persons who would sell a lid, would sell a truck load," Riggs said. Riggs said he didn't believe the drug problem in the Uintah Basin was any worse than any other part of the state. One of the reasons for the increasing amount of illegal drug sales in the area is because of the slump in the economy, Riggs said. Cost of the investigative operation is estimated in the thousands of dollars. One undercover agent said his expenses since the first of the month have been $3,000. At times there were up to four state agents in the area and usually one five days a week. Most of the cases were based on controlleded buys by the agents, with local agency providing surveillance. Buys were recorded on hidden hid-den microphones. The investigation began last July when Vernal City requested help from the State Narcotic Bureau. Arrested in the Wednesday raid were Carl Anderton, Mark Anderton, Kim Anderton, Brian Jenkins, Mark Seeley, G.Willis Kellum, Patrick Briggs, Kathy Cluff, Timothy Clark, Partrick Prit-chard, Prit-chard, Garth Jones, Mark Allen Coombs, Robert Lee, Rodney Powell, Robert Dean Jones, David Miller, Jerome Day, James C. Davies, Keelly O'Driscoll, Scotty Tracey Feher, Kim D. Nichell, Carole, Kieser, Steve Roub, Karon Crow, Brad Jacobsen, Morris Foreward, John Sidwell, Gary Hoffman, Rick Williams, Teresa Hoffman, James Chandler, Wess Hardinger, Randy Goodman, and Doug Person. Three persons were arrested in Heber City and three more have been arrested since Wednesday's raid. r-v ' I . VftSN 'v' , ..... . ... . . ' V,... . . r : ' -: S'w i. ) " V . - HALF A pound of cocaine taken during a drug raid by state undercover under-cover agents in Heber City is examined by Robert T. Downard, Vernal City Police Chief. .; -' -A f j : f 1 . '' i : ' V'' ( XV - ( " ?) i ll y it ' i : f, i- C'V V .. . ! ( f- I ... 6 . , I " t yy i ' "a j . v ' - i s r 1 ,' f . t ' ' : '-v ' ; v- ' ; i , - - f Js. :. .... s f j' w S- : ? ': f I 1 ? " : If ' ' ; r ' . ? ' . M- I f I ' - " CHRIS SYMES,;. Vernal -City Police, .cuffs one of the 38 persons taken Wednesday on charges of distribution of a controled substance. |
