The roundup of drug suspects on Sept. 30 was reported by news media with several conflicting numbers — of people arrested and indictments.
A press release from the state police gives a definitive set of numbers. Seventy-nine individuals were targeted on 231 grand jury indictments. These people face charges of drug possession, distribution and manufacturing, and child endangerment.
Various numbers were reported because a few of the individuals were picked up prior to the roundup operation, some are still being sought, three are known to have fled and all were spread out over a larger area than usual for a Rockbridge Area Drug Task Force operation. These people were not only from Rockbridge County and Lexington, but also from Buena Vista and August County.
“With the complexity and the locations of all these people that we were trying to pick up, we needed the assistance of agencies of other task forces,” said State Police Sgt.,Richard C. Garletts, the agency’s public information officer.
Carrying out a mass roundup is something that the Drug Task Force does routinely. But this time, it involved more people being picked up with more agencies involved.
“That is the largest roundup we’ve done in years,” said Garletts. “It was made possible by the cooperation of everybody that was involved.”
The investigations are ongoing. Garletts said this operation was a culmination of multiple cases that the DTF has been putting together. The press release, issued Oct. 2, said that the investigations “into the illegal use, distribution, possession and manufacturing of cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana” began in early 2015.
“That’s what this roundup was about. It was taking the drug dealers off the street,” said Buena Vista Police Chief Keith Hartman. “And they were very successful doing that.”
For many of those involved, a hearing is scheduled for Oct. 20.