Before the sun came up Wednesday, police were canvassing the county for 34 individuals with pending drug dealing cases as part of the first large roundup in nearly two years.

Multiple agencies came together for Operation United Front, a collaboration between the Franklin Police Department, Greenwood Police Department, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office.

The roundup netted 25 arrests in less than six hours; nine remain at large, Johnson County Prosecutor Joe Villanueva said during a Wednesday afternoon news conference. About 15 were taken to the Johnson County jail, while others were picked up in Marion and Hendricks counties and taken to those jails.

Local police will continue to search for the other individuals who have warrants out for their arrests, Villanueva said.

The last multi-agency drug roundup, dubbed Operation Hocus Pocus, was on Oct. 31, 2019. At the time, they targeted 33 individuals and arrested 22.

Several individuals who were targeted in that roundup remain at large, partially because they haven’t been located, and partially due to coronavirus-related back-ups in the courts, Villanueva said.

Though there hasn’t been a roundup since 2019, efforts continued to get drugs off the street, Sheriff Duane Burgess said.

“Just because we are having this roundup doesn’t mean other folks aren’t being taken off the streets by the narcotics division outside of a roundup,” Burgess said.

The two most recent operations were smaller, designed to bring in a lot of drug dealers at once without overwhelming the county jail and court system. Previous roundups with more than 100 targets were too much for those systems to handle, he said.

Wednesday’s roundup was months in the making and the result of countless hours of work. Collaboration between the four agencies made the effort a success, local police chiefs said.

The roundup is also a message that local police will continue to crack down on drugs throughout the county, Villanueva said.

“COVID put a pause on the world, but we want you to know we are here and we are back in business,” he said.

In total, 67 charges were filed, including 66 dealing-related charges and a theft charge, as the individual promised to sell drugs but stole the money and did not produce any drugs.

“They range in age from 24 to 60 years old. Just like with anything else, they come from all over. There is no one city or town that is the source of these people and the problems they cause,” Villanueva said. “They come from Greenwood, Franklin, Edinburgh, New Whiteland, Indianapolis, Avon — all over.”

Most of the charges — 28 of the 67 — were for dealing meth. Other drugs recovered include heroin, fentanyl, ecstasy, methadone, suboxone, marijuana and synthetic heroin.

“There is an opioid epidemic that plagues our towns and our cities in Indiana, but methamphetamine is still king in Johnson County,” Villanueva said.

The agencies employed a combination of police tactics, including canvassing neighborhoods that are known drug hotbeds and following up on tips. Community members are encouraged to share information about drug activity in their neighborhoods, Burgess said.

In Franklin, police are putting drug dealers who operate out of homes on the near-northside of downtown on notice.

“We’re coming for you,” Cochran said.

“Our big goal in the city of Franklin is to target some of these housing areas where these drugs take over communities and the citizens are calling every day with complaints. We want you to know we hear your complaints, and it won’t happen overnight, but we are working on taking back these neighborhoods. We are not going to allow these drugs to take over our neighborhoods as long as I am police chief,” he said.

Drug enforcement efforts are hoped to bring peace to neighborhoods and curb overdoses that plague the community. In Franklin alone, there have been 38 overdose calls so far this year, including eight deaths, Cochran said.

“We are out there enforcing the laws but people are still dying,” he said. “We have people selling dope to our kids, destroying the neighborhoods and destroying homes.”

SUSPECTS, CHARGES

Christian L. Alstott, 24, of Franklin, one count dealing methamphetamine.

Cecilia P. Barnes, 30, of Greenwood, three counts dealing narcotics.

Paul W. Bryant, 37, of Indianapolis, one count dealing heroin, one count dealing meth.

Crystal G. Bullock, 42, of Franklin, four counts of dealing meth.

Richard T. Canter, Jr., 45, of Franklin, one count of dealing meth.

William E. Dillard, 38, of Franklin, three counts of dealing meth.

Teresa L. Duncan, 45, of Trafalgar, one count dealing a controlled substance.

Paul T. Fletcher. 34, of Greenwood, two counts of dealing meth.

Rickey D. Ford, 41, of Franklin, one count dealing a narcotic drug.

Brian N. Fowler, 26, of Greenwood, one count dealing marijuana.

Bobby A. Glenn, 38, of Trafalgar, one count of dealing meth.

Antwaun L. Graves, 39, of Indianapolis, one count of dealing narcotic drug, one count of dealing a synthetic substance.

Terrance A. Griffin, 38, of Indianapolis, two counts of dealing a controlled substance.

Shelby D. Hall, 60, of Franklin, one count dealing meth.

Laurie A. Hargis, 42, of Greenwood, one count dealing meth.

Jeppe W. Jensen, 41, of Avon, one count dealing meth.

Gerry A. R. Lucas, 35, of Franklin, two counts dealing meth.

Christopher R. Lynn, 28, of Franklin, two counts dealing meth, two counts dealing narcotics.

Mark A. Miller, 38, of Indianapolis, two counts dealing meth.

Kristin L. R. Moen, 27, of Indianapolis, two counts of dealing a controlled substance.

Derek A. Pendergrass, Jr., 30, of Indianapolis, two counts of dealing a narcotic drug.

Jennifer A. Perdue, 49, of Indianapolis, one count dealing heroin.

Jerimey J. Peyton, 42, of New Whiteland, one count dealing a controlled substance.

Taylor A. Phillips, 24, of Franklin, one count dealing narcotics, one count dealing meth.

Christy L. Ratliff, 47, of Indianapolis, two counts of dealing a controlled substance.

Kayla M. Ratliff, 30, of Indianapolis, two counts of dealing a controlled substance.

Timothy B. Ridge, 42, of Franklin, one count dealing meth.

Shawn M. Roelke, 56, of Greenwood, three counts dealing a controlled substance, one count dealing marijuana.

Ryan M. Shives, 39, of Greenwood, two counts dealing a controlled substance.

Shelby P. Supple, 24, of Indianapolis, one count dealing meth, one count dealing a controlled substance.

Eric W. Tanner, 36, of Franklin, one count theft.

David L. Viverette, 39, of Indianapolis, two counts dealing a controlled substance.

Tommy L. Watkins, 50, of Indianapolis, one count dealing meth.

Kenneth A. Zook, 57, of Franklin, two counts dealing meth.

Source: Franklin Police Department