By Rob Ginter - Staff Writer
In what the Kentucky State Police are calling Operation Flamingo Road, 12 separate counts of drug trafficking were spread out over nine arrests in Rowan County last week.
UNITE and officer Randy Cline arrested a trio of the bunch. James Carroll, 32, of Clearfield was charged with trafficking in a controlled substance first-degree, Myka N. Mills, 19, of Morehead is charged with trafficking in a controlled substance second-degree and Trisha A. Wallace, 33, of Morehead is charged with trafficking in a controlled substance first-degree.
According to the KSP, they arrested six people from the sting operation.
Robert W. Alderman, 29, of Morehead is charged with trafficking in a controlled substance first-degree.
Edward L. Callihan, 20, of Morehead is charged with trafficking in a controlled substance first-degree and trafficking in a controlled substance second-degree.
Daniel R. Moore of Flemingsburg is charged with trafficking in a controlled substance first-degree.
Mary Purnell, 49, of Morehead is charged with trafficking in a controlled substance first-degree.
Kyla Vater, 23, of Falmouth is charged with trafficking in a controlled substance first-degree.
Morgan Vance Hall, 27, of Morehead is charged with trafficking a controlled substance first-degree.
“It’s been a two-year culmination,” KSP Public Affairs Officer Joe Veeneman said. “It was mainly for individuals that were getting prescription drugs obtained legally at pain clinics in Florida and then selling them here.”
The list of police agencies in the roundup included the KSP, Operation UNITE, the U.S Drug Enforcement Agency, sheriff’s office, and city police departments.
Operation Flamingo Road is the largest drug roundup in the state’s history.
Detectives used informants and other intelligence to determine that a large number of patients showing up in South Florida pain clinics were from Kentucky.
“This type of investigation often involves the same violent criminal activity as any other investigation into organized drug trafficking. We can not forget the dedication and tireless effort put forth by KSP detectives, task force officers and troopers, local officers and federal agents,” said KSP Commissioner Rodney Brewer. “Without them, a round up of this magnitude would not have been possible.”
