Massive drug roundup starts across county

Sixty-five people are targeted in a mass arrest operation involving drug charges, Wise County Commonwealth Attorney Chuck Slemp has announced.

In a press release this morning, Slemp announced that officers from several police agencies launched the operation in the early morning hours Tuesday. The suspects were recently indicted by the multi-jurisdictional grand jury at Wise. The arrests stem from an extensive investigation by the Southwest Virginia Regional Narcotics Task Force involving illegal drug activity in Wise County.

More than 125 drug charges are involved, including nearly 100 felony charges involving the distribution, manufacture, and possession of methamphetamine, Slemp said. Additionally, 38 of the cases involve diversion of the prescription drug buprenorphine.

Participating agencies include the Wise County Sheriff's Department, Virginia State Police, the Norton Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff’s Department, the Coeburn Police Department and the Wise Police Department.
According to a list provided by Slemp, local residents scheduled for arrest and their charges include:

• Steven Douglas Stevens, 41, Big Stone Gap: Distributing methamphetamine and conspiracy to do so.

• Melissa Kay Caudill, 50, Big Stone Gap: Distributing buprenorphine.

• Travis Lee Baldwin, 38, Big Stone Gap: Distributing methamphetamine and conspiracy to do so.

• Kandy Marie Whitson, 40, Big Stone Gap: Distributing methamphetamine and conspiracy to do so.

• Farren Tianna Clark, 30, Big Stone Gap: Distributing methamphetamine, conspiracy to do so and distributing meth within 1,000 feet of a school.

• Sammy Ray Belcher Jr., 40, Appalachia: Distributing methamphetamine, conspiracy to do so and distributing meth within 1,000 feet of a school.

• Trevor Lee Johnson, 27, Big Stone Gap: Distributing methamphetamine and conspiracy to do so.

• Travis Lynn Kilgore, 33, Big Stone Gap: Distributing methamphetamine and conspiracy to do so.

• Brittany Danielle McReynolds, 31, Big Stone Gap: Possessing meth with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute meth.

• Dennis Wayne Russell, 56, Appalachia: Distributing meth.

• Michael Crawford, 18, Big Stone Gap: Distributing marijuana.

• Jonathan Aaron Hill, 23, Appalachia: Distributing meth.

• Jamie Collin Jessee, 40, Appalachia: Three counts of distributing meth.

• Michael Balke, 39, Big Stone Gap: Possession of meth with intent to distribute.

• Amanda Blanton, 37, Big Stone Gap: Possession of meth with intent to distribute.

• Stephanie Nicole Carroll, 41, Big Stone Gap: Two counts of distributing meth.

• Stephen Stewart, 49, Big Stone Gap: Distributing meth.

• Brittany Nicole Pleasant, 26, Big Stone Gap: Distributing meth.

• Kari Dawn Wade, 25, Big Stone Gap: Two counts of distributing buprenorphine.

• Amanda Louise Leduc, 34, Big Stone Gap: Distributing meth and attempting to distribute meth.

• Angela Marie Sproles, 26, Big Stone Gap: Distributing meth.

• Cynthia Clark, 47, Big Stone Gap: Possessing meth with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute meth.

• Shawne Lee Bowman, 48, Big Stone Gap: Possessing meth with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute meth.

• Holden Burke, 27, Big Stone Gap: Possessing meth with intent to distribute.

• Mark Anthony Thompson, 35, Appalachia: Distributing methadone.

• Leslie Spaulding, 43, Big Stone Gap: Distributing meth and conspiracy to do so.