District Attorney John Wampler said a five month long undercover narcotics investigation by the District Three DA Drug Task Force resulted in the filing of various drug charges against 22 individuals for the sale, conspiracy to manufacture or possession of methamphetamine, crack cocaine and prescription pain medicine. As of Wednesday afternoon, only three of the drug suspects remained at large. In addition to the drug charges, one individual was arrested by the U.S. Marshall's Service on an arrest warrant out of Wyoming for credit card fraud.
A total of 14 defendants were charged in Jackson County District Court with distribution of CDS. Two of those were already in custody on other charges, 9 were arrested on Wednesday, and three remain at large. One defendant was charged in Greer County District Court with distribution of CDS and one was charged in Harmon County District Court with distribution of CDS, both of whom were taken into custody on Wednesday.
Wampler said 6 defendants were charged in Kiowa County District Court, 1 for misdemeanor possession of CDS and the other 5 for conspiracy to manufacture meth. The conspiracy charges involved individuals allegedly purchasing pseudoephedrine with the knowledge that it would be used to manufacture methamphetamine. Two of those suspects were already in custody in Kiowa County and the other four were arrested on Wednesday.
According to DA Wampler, Wednesday's roundup comes on the heels of a similar investigation by the Drug Task Force that ended on March 8 of this year with the arrest of 17 individuals in Jackson and Harmon Counties on similar drug charges. Included in Wednesday's arrest was Dante Bridges of Altus who was also arrested in March for distribution of CDS and which charge is pending in Jackson County District Court.
Wampler praised the efforts of the Drug Task Force and the other agencies involved and said, "These roundups should serve as a warning to those who choose to sell and distribute illegal drugs that we will aggressively pursue you and send you to prison to protect the law-abiding citizens of district three."
Those agencies assisting with Wednesday's roundup included: OSBI, US Marshall, Drug Task Force 6 from Duncan, Kiowa Co SO, Harmon Co SO, Greer Co SO, Jackson Co SO, Altus PO, Blair PO, OHP, and OBNDO.



