You'd think my state invented meth. Smh.
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12 suspects from 4 states in federal meth conspiracy charged in Owensboro
Story by Robinson Miles , Jill Lyman • Yesterday 7:46 PM
OWENSBORO, Ky. (WFIE) - 12 people are now in custody as part of an investigation by the Owensboro Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and others.
Officials announce several federal drug arrests© Provided by Evansville WFIE
Law enforcement is hoping Owensboro and beyond are now a little bit safer, following both the arrests of 12 people accused of being part of a drug trafficking ring, as well as the seizure of large amounts of drugs.
“We will put everything we have into making sure this community stays safe,” said OPD Lt. Col. J.D. Winkler.
In a news conference, representatives from OPD and the DEA announced they made the arrests Wednesday morning. They say the investigation included contributions not only from OPD and the DEA, but also from the Department of Homeland Security, the Postal Service and others.
They say this type of work is important since big crime like this doesn’t have a jurisdiction.
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“Obviously we’re trying to get out there and make our community a safer place, and that’s why large-scale investigations like this are so important,” said DEA Special Agent Michael Gannon.
They say most of the arrests were in Owensboro, but some were in Georgia and Florida. They say they executed five different search warrants in Owensboro, and seized 15 to 20 pounds of meth along with cocaine and kilograms worth of fentanyl.
“Any time we can get that awareness out, or get that off the street it’s a huge win, and this is a big win for the city of Owensboro today taking off members of this violent drug trafficking organization,” said Gannon.
They say their investigation started in September. Officials say those arrested have a lengthy criminal history. They say that given how much drugs were seized, it’s possible lives were saved by getting them off the street, but there’s still a lot left to do.
“Today the work’s not done,” said Winkler. “There’s still hundreds of hours of work to be done to continue with the investigation.”
Law enforcement says this investigation was an operation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, which aims to dismantle criminal organizations through cooperation from multiple agencies.
According to a release, a federal grand jury in Bowling Green, Kentucky, returned a two-count indictment on Feb. 15, charging the 12 suspects with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of meth.
The indictment shows the following 12 suspects being charged:
- Chance Morton, 34, of Owensboro, Kentucky
- Nicholas Stallings, 38, of Forest Park, Georgia
- George James, 52, of Hawesville, Kentucky
- Desmond Morton, 38 of Owensboro, Kentucky
- Morgan Anderson, 36, of Owensboro, Kentucky
- William Simmons, 49, of Owensboro, Kentucky
- Johnny Albury, 55, of Owensboro, Kentucky
- Charles Hudson, 44, of Vero Beach, Florida
- Ellis Parker, 64, of Owensboro, Kentucky
- Willie Mosley, 55, of Hagerstown, Maryland
- Brian Ray, 36, of Philpot, Kentucky
- Lindsay R. Harper, 39, of Hawesville, Kentucky.
Officials say all 12 people are in custody and scheduled to appear in court Thursday. If convicted, all face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
You can watch the full news conference here: