DANVILLE — Danville Police Chief Monte Vance reported that on Monday evening, officers from the Danville Police Department, Fredericktown Police Department, Mount Vernon Police Department, Knox County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Agency made several arrests, ending a several-month investigation into illegal narcotics trafficking in the village of Danville and the Knox County area.
According to Vance, the operation, nicknamed “Operation Autumn Clean-Up,” was led by Danville Police Investigator Sgt. Tom Looney, with assistance from MVPD detectives, KCSO detectives and units from the DEA. Vance said the officers conducted a series of undercover drug purchases of narcotics, all in the Danville and Mount Vernon areas, between the early summer and fall.
Vance gave the names of those charged and arrested with illegal drug trafficking as Virginia A. Pumphrey, 30, and Wanda F. Wilson, 47, both of Danville; and Jerry T. Carpenter, 46, Trudy N. McFadden, 36, Jessica L. Mosier, 29, and Amber N. Mosby, 24, all of Fredericktown. All suspects were indicted by a Knox County grand jury prior to the arrest.
Vance said that Richard K. Sharp, 42, and Robert O. Alberts Jr., 46, both of Danville, were also indicted on illegal drug trafficking charges, but were not picked up. He also said Homer D. Carpenter, 41, Danville, who was arrested on Oct. 9 on a drug trafficking charge in Danville, was charged with three additional counts of illegal drug trafficking stemming from the “Operation Autumn Clean-Up” investigation.
Vance commended all of the law enforcement officers and their agencies involved with “Operation Autumn Clean-Up,” and said he feels this is an encouragement to the community of Knox County that its law enforcement officers are working together to make Knox County a safe place to live. The agencies involved are members of the multi-county Metrich Narcotics Task Force.
