Law enforcement officers swarmed Huntington on Thursday and arrested 27 people accused of dealing prescription drugs and marijuana – the result of nearly a year of police work.

The investigation was the Huntington Police Department’s response to a scourge of prescription drug abuse in the city that has claimed the lives of at least 10 people the past two years, Chief Tom Emely said.

Users either steal pills, mostly painkillers like OxyContin and methadone, from parents or grandparents or buy them from dealers. They usually take several doses at once or crush them up and snort them.

When users mix these large doses with alcohol, the results can be deadly, Emely said.

Police, using undercover officers and other methods, developed information for nearly a year that led to arrest warrants for 31 Huntington drug dealers, Emely said.

Nearly 100 officers from the Indiana State Police and departments throughout Huntington County gathered Thursday morning and swept through the city, arresting all but three suspects.

One man, 26-year-old Brandon Bryant, was already serving prison time. He was charged with dealing a controlled substance and dealing marijuana.

The 27 arrested are:

•Shelia Byrd, 38, of Huntington, on two counts of dealing a controlled substance.

• William Byrd, 48, of Huntington, on a charge of dealing marijuana and two counts of dealing a controlled substance.

•Michael Catlin, 25, of Huntington, on three counts of dealing a controlled substance.

•Vickie Creed, 44, of Huntington, on two counts of dealing a controlled substance.

•Zachary Cutshall, 23, of Andrews, on a charge of dealing marijuana and two counts of dealing a controlled substance.

•Robert Dennis, 34, of Huntington, on two counts of dealing a controlled substance.

•Tanner Dennis, 23, of Huntington, on charges of dealing a controlled substance and of dealing marijuana.

•Kenneth Duckworth, 26, of Huntington, on three counts of dealing a controlled substance.

•Michael Green, 27, of Huntington, on two counts of dealing marijuana.

•Levi Hinman, 19, of Roanoke, on two counts of dealing marijuana.

•Michael Huffman, 32, of Huntington, on two counts of dealing marijuana.

•David Lawhorn, 28, of Huntington, on two counts of dealing a controlled substance.

• Zachary Martin, 22, of Huntington, on three counts of dealing a controlled substance.

•Jonathan McDaniel, 25, of Huntington, on two counts of dealing a controlled substance.

•Christopher O’Connor, 28, of Huntington, on two counts of dealing a legend drug and three counts of dealing a controlled substance.

•David Phillips, 27, of Huntington, on a charge of dealing a controlled substance.

•Jeremy Pritchard, 21, of Huntington, on charges of dealing a controlled substance and dealing marijuana.

•Wanda Shepperd, 42, of Huntington, on three counts of dealing a controlled substance.

•Joshua Simon, 29, of Huntington, on two counts of dealing a legend drug.

•James Sosh, 23, of Huntington, on two counts of dealing a controlled substance.

•Doris Spencer, 55, of Huntington, on two counts of dealing a controlled substance.

•Michael Spencer, 36, of Huntington, on two counts of dealing a controlled substance.

•David Swaim, 43, of Huntington, on two counts of dealing a controlled substance.

•Tyler Tackett, 19, of Huntington, on charges of dealing marijuana and of illegal possession of a firearm and three counts of dealing a controlled substance.

•Scott Tyree, 29, of Huntington, on two counts of dealing a controlled substance.

•Victor Velez, 19, of Huntington, on four counts of dealing a controlled substance.

•Rachel Wood, 22, of Huntington, on a charge of dealing a controlled substance.

mzennie@jg.net