Officers with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department and Agents with the 25^th Judicial District Drug Task Force continue their efforts to investigate and interdict illegal drug activity in Fayette County .  On Monday, July 26, 2010, the Fayette County Grand Jury returned a total of 80 indictments charging persons with various criminal offenses in the Fayette County Circuit Court.  Of those indictments, 45 were for offenses related to the manufacture, possession, and sale of illegal narcotics, and of those drug cases, 38 new indictments represented the successful culmination of several months of an undercover drug investigation operation which was jointly conducted by the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department and the 25^th Judicial District Drug Task Force.  In November, 2009, and in response to increased citizen complaints and increased violence associated with drug related crimes, Fayette County Sheriff Bobby Riles requested the assistance and cooperation of the 25^th Judicial District Drug Task Force to develop and implement a proactive undercover drug investigation operation in all areas of Fayette County .  The operation involved numerous officers and agents from the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department as well as the DTF, who worked together in secrecy to aggressively target and investigate the illegal sales of cocaine, marijuana, and prescription pills across Fayette County , including in Somerville , Oakland , Rossville, and Moscow .  After the return of the new secret indictments, many of the charged drug dealers were quickly apprehended and rounded up by the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department and are being held in the Fayette County Jail on bonds set by the Circuit Court.  

          “I want to thank and commend the members of the Fayette County Grand Jury for their diligent work in reviewing and returning indictments in these important cases.  I also want to thank Sheriff Riles for his initiative and leadership in organizing this successful operation.  I am confident that the citizens of Fayette County are safer due to the numerous arrests of these drug offenders.  Sheriff Riles and his department have been an integral part of the success of the Drug Task Force model, and I look forward to continuing to work with him to effectively combat illegal narcotics in Fayette County and the 25^th Judicial District.”    

          If you have any information or complaints about the possible manufacture, sale, or possession of illegal drugs, you are urged to contact the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department or the Office of the District Attorney General.  Copies of the new indictments can be obtained from the Fayette County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.  Booking photos can be obtained from the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department.

As per Federal Department of Justice Grant funding requirements, this is a public notice that the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department has applied for federal grant funding for equipment to improve communications technology, and enhance officer safety.  If you have any questions or comments regarding this grant funding, contact Inspector Ray Garcia at 901-466-3933.