Published: June 27, 2009 10:46 pm      

32 charged in Lewis drug roundup

VANCEBURG — Lewis County Sheriff Bill Lewis announced 48 charges were filed against 32 people Saturday morning following a four-month covert investigation targeting drug trafficking in Lewis County.

The sheriff said evidence from the investigation indicates many of those charged were obtaining powerful prescription painkillers from Fort Lauderdale in Broward County, Florida.

“Many of these Lewis County drug traffickers travel to Florida, fronting money for drug users to obtain prescription painkillers so the drug traffickers can sell them when they return to Lewis County,” the sheriff said in a statement released early Saturday.

Officers arrested Jeffrey Ginn, Vickie Highfield, Barbara Jordan, Thomas Jordan, William Jordan Jr., Lori Polley, Zachary Stevenson, Lisa Wallace, Steve W. Clark Jr., Bobby Clark, Sid Witten, Ron Claxon, Deborah Edington, Michael “Floyd” Hobbs, William “Big Bill” Bloomfield, Pamela Hobbs, Randall Frazee, David Boggs, Brian “Red” Bonner, Melissa Stone, Michael Gibson, Danny Patton, Nakala Bloomfield, Dennis Wade Thurman, Eric Taylor, Kennedale Hedge, Randy Lykins, Gary Taylor and Billy J. Fraley on charges ranging from first to third degree trafficking controlled substance.

Zachary Stevens and Nakayla Bloomfield were each also charged with second degree persistent felony offender. Eric Taylor and Kennedale Hedge were also charged with trafficking a controlled substance within 1,000 yards of a school.

Officers also charged Timothy W. Evans, Earnest K. Howard and Julia Reis with first degree trafficking controlled substance.

Lewis also expressed his praise for his deputies who volunteered their time to help the investigation. The sheriff asks anyone with information about drug trafficking to contact his office anonymously at (606) 796-0123.