Web posted
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Task force rounds up 20 drug suspects
By JEANNE RICHARDSON
Courier Staff Writer
The Cowley County Drug Task Force was busy all day Tuesday picking up and arresting at least 20 drug offenders in the Arkansas and Winfield area.
"We should have about 75 to 80 percent of them picked up by the end of the day," said Lt. Frank Owens of the Winfield Police Department Tuesday. Police will be arresting seven in Arkansas City, 10 in Winfield and three in the Wichita area.
The people who had warrants issued are: Jessica Saenz, David Wixon, Michael Fagan, Shawn Mantz, Jamie Perkins, Garrett Weishaar, Glen Dale Berry, Gregory Chattam, Jesse Ian Adcock, Schylur Watson, Felisha Mahoney, Wanda Steward, Laramie Miller, Genna D. Wooten, Rachel A. Whitlock, Autumn B. Wooten, Kimberly Sartin, Joseph M. Reynolds, Patricia Dickey and Michael Rowe.
"The offenders will be brought in two to three at a time, interrogated and interviewed," said Owens.
Talking to them individually "will strengthen our court cases," Owens said.
The task force consists of four law enforcement investigators: Robert Soto, Winfield Police Department; Eric Mata, Arkansas City PD; Christina Leffel, Cowley County Sheriff's Department; and Troy Rhodes, Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The four have been working on the drug case with informants making controlled buys for about eight months in a countywide sweep, according to Owens. "They've been working really hard at this," said Undersheriff Don Read.
Some of the individuals who are on the list to be arrested today have drug-related history, said Owens. There are also some burglary warrants that go along with the drug arrests.
The Cowley County Drug Task Force, while trying to remain low key, assists law enforcement agencies in getting search warrants for drug offenders, investigating clandestine laboratories and educating the community about drugs. A sweep of this type is targeted every six months or so, said Owens. More than one informant was used in this case.
According to Owens, informants help the task force for different reasons. They may be working off other charges; some of them want to do it for the compensation; and other, said Owens, have had drugs affect their lives in one way or another and just want to help clean up the county.
|
