Wayne County Sheriff’s Office makes numerous drug trafficking arrests

WAYNE COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) - The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office has reported several arrests related to drug trafficking in the last several days.

A tip of the sale of illegal narcotics from a home on Pearl Smith Road in Wayne County led to one of those arrests.

On Thursday, Deputy James Barnett was surveilling the home as he observed two cars leaving it at the same time. As the cars passed his location, he observed the first one as having a traffic violation.

As Deputy Barnett started following these cars on Kentucky Highway 3284, the first car sped up which appeared to be trying to get away from Deputy Barnett. Deputy Nick Bertram, who was in the same area, observed the first car traveling at higher rate than the legal speed limit.

Deputy Bertram then conducted a traffic stop on the car. Once Deputy Barnett arrived to the location of the stop, he recognized the driver as having a warrant of arrest.

Deputy Barnett told the driver he was under arrest for the warrant and he was told to exit the vehicle.

Deputy Bertram then noticed a cloth bag laying in the floorboard, which would have been between the drivers feet.

This cloth bag contained a total of 9 plastic baggies containing a crystal like substance. Deputy Bertram also located a set of digital scales with what appeared to have the same type of crystal substance on it and a Suboxone pill.

Deputy Barnett charged Christopher Crabtree of Monticello for trafficking in a controlled substance-1st degree (greater than or equal to 2 grams of methamphetamine), possession of a controlled substance-2nd degree (drug unspecified), possession of drug paraphernalia, and reckless driving and for traffic violations.

Crabtree was also arrested on a Wayne County District Court complaint warrant of arrest for theft by unlawful taking or disposition-shoplifting.

This warrant was obtained by Walmart after Crabtree entered the store and removed several items without paying them. These items were valued at $323.68.

The crystal like substance was later tested using Tru-Narc Narcotic Analysis Equipment which tested positive as being methamphetamine with a total weight of 27 grams.

Crabtree was lodged in the Wayne County Detention Center.

Another drug trafficking related arrest was made the day prior.

On Wednesday, on-going drug trafficking investigation led by Deputies James Barnett and Derek Dennis helped in the arrest of another Monticello man.

Barnett and Dennis worked drug interdiction on East Kentucky 90, believing the Monticello man was going to Pulaski County to purchase illegal narcotics and returning to Wayne County for resale of the illegal narcotic.

The deputies observed a car traveling West on Kentucky Highway 90 then conducted a traffic stop as it entered the city limits of Monticello. The driver of the vehicle was told of the drug investigation and then gave consent to a search of his person and of his car.

A search of the driver resulted in a bag of a crystal substance being found.

He was then placed under arrest for the illegal substance that was believed to be meth at that time. The deputies also seized a total of $1522.00 in cash from him.

The crystal substance tested positive to be meth.

The substance had a total weight of 16 grams.

Rick S. Hughes of Monticello was charged for trafficking a controlled substance-1st degree (greater than or equal to 2 grams of methamphetamine).

Hughes was also lodged in the Wayne County Detention Center.