DRUG BUST • The drug task force arrested more than two dozen people last Thursday. Above, several were arrested at this home on 400 East in Nephi. For booking photos of those arrested see page 8.

By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent

Law enforcement officers from two counties came together to arrest more than two dozen people in a series of drug raids Thursday morning in Nephi.
Officers from Nephi City as well as Juab and Sanpete Counties made the arrests. Most of the suspects were awakened and hauled off to jail, on drug distribution and burglary charges, by a raid that began at 8 a.m.
"The arrests came as the result of a year's worth of undercover work, revolving around the abuse and illegal distribution of pain pills and heroin," said Mike Morgan, Nephi City Police Chief.
Instead of arresting drug users, Sanpete and Juab County law enforcement officials went after the source and arrested drug dealers.
The Sanpete/Juab Major Crimes and Drug Task Force sent out teams to homes or other known places where drugs were being distributed.
"Undercover narcotics officers made multiple drug buys from the suspected dealers," said Alden Orem, Juab County Sheriff. "This is a major crimes task force."
He said that, in addition to the drug arrests of Thursday and of a year ago, there were other crimes the task force had helped solve. One of those was a kidnapping case which resulted in the conviction of the culprit.
Following the year's careful ground-work and with arrest warrants in place, teams moved in at the same time all through the city taking alleged dealers into custody.
"They were clueless, they were caught off guard and thought that they were above the law and that's not the case," said Orme.
Morgan said three suspects, allegedly part of a car burglary ring, were arrested as part of the sting.
Various items were recovered from the thefts.
"They had committed more than 100 vehicle robberies in the past few months," said Morgan. "On some nights there were 20 vehicle burglaries."
These crimes, he said, were also drug related.
"One of the arrested (Daniel Mitchell) was also charged with Arson in regards to the 5th wheel camper fire on May 6 at 391 N. 300 East," said Morgan.
Twenty-three people were arrested in Juab County, the majority of them in Nephi. It's the result of a year-long investigation into people selling drugs.
The two-county joint drug task force began the roundup of suspected drug dealers just after 8 a.m. Several people were arrested simultaneously and all of them face felony charges of drug distribution.
"The arrested individuals will begin their appearances in court on Tuesday," said Orme.
"Undercover investigators have purchased drugs at least three times from each of the individuals we arrested," said Orme.
Many of those taken into custody have young children in the home and those children were turned over to relatives.
"Nephi is still a good place to raise children," he said. "Only a minority of people in the county are involved in drug use but there is a drug problem here."
That was the reason the task force was formed and the reason that periodic drug raids were being held. The use of illegal drugs needed to be discouraged.
Fifteen months ago, a drug-dealer round-up was conducted in Juab County with 50 arrests.
"None of those people brought in last year were involved in these arrests," said Orme. "These are all new people.
Orme said the bust was deja vu for officers."
Morgan said the task force and police learned about the vehicle burglary suspects while investigating suspected heroin and pain pill dealers.
"It all ties together because the car burglars were committing their crimes in order to pawn the items for cash or trade those items for drugs," he said.
"It's happening all over Utah that people are overdosing and dying from drugs," Morgan said. "They start with pain pills and, when it gets too expensive, they move to heroin."
Orme said that the problem of drug abuse and drug dealing was not limited to socioeconomic status, one race, or one age-group.
"It encompasses individuals from teenagers to senor citizens," he sad.
Orme said this was not just a single drug event. There will be others as the need arises.
Law enforcement officers have worked to be proactive with drug programs in the schools, with community councils and town meetings but it is still better to eliminate the source and take the dealers off the streets.
A Drug Free Zone (DFZ) is a statutorily designated area or place (as a public park, school, church, beach or a school bus) within which the distribution of or possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance is an aggravated felony. It is irrelevant whether a person is aware that he or she is carrying on the prohibited drug activity in a drug-free zone.
There have been raids in Sanpete county as well as in Juab County.
Arrested were: 1. Cassie Alegria, Distribution of Oxycodone in a DFZ (Drug Free Zone); 2. Jess Allred, Distribution of Marijuana, Distribution of Marijuana, Warrant; 3. Candra Angell, Distribution of Hydrocodone in a DFZ; 4. Phillip Angell, Distribution of a Counterfeit Controlled Substance (Meth) DFZ, Arranging the Distribution of Oxycodone DFZ, Distribution of Oxycodone in a DFZ, Arranging the Distribution of Oxycodone DRZ, Possession of Heroin with the Intent to Distribute; 5. Kori Banks, Distribution of Hydrocodone in a DFZ, Distribution of Marijuana in a DFZ, Distribution of Hydrocodone in a DFZ; 6. Christopher Broadhead, Distribution of Heroin in a DFZ, Distribution of Heroin in a DFZ, Distribution of Heroin in a DFZ; 7. Jennifer Cain, Distribution of Klonopin in a DFZ; 8. Lonnie Cain, Distribution of Hydrocodone; Distribution of Lyrica; 9. William Cain, Distribution of Oxycodone and Gabapentin in a DFZ; 10. Lucas Carter, Distribution of Clonazepam in a DFZ, Distribution of Suboxone in a DFZ; 11. Bradley Crook, Distribution of Hydrocodone in a DFZ; 12. Nathan Forbush, Distribution of Ritalin in a DFZ; Distribution of Ritalin in a DFZ; Distribution of Ritalin in a DFZ; Distribution of Ritalin in a DFZ; Distribution of Heroin in a DFZ; Distribution of Heroin in a DFZ; Distribution of Heroin in a DFZ; 13. Gerald Gillins, Distribution of Hydrocodone in a DFZ; 14. Ashley Hazel, Distribution of Heroin in a DFZ, Distribution of Heroin in a DFZ; 15. Jacob Hess, Distribution of Heroin in a DFZ, Distribution of Xanax in a DFZ, Distribution of Marijuana in a DFZ; 16. Braden Kooyman, Distribution of Marijuana in a DFZ; 17. Brianna Lake, Distribution of Oxycodone in a DFZ; 18. Joshua Moshier, Distribution of Marijuana in a DFZ, Distribution of Marijuana in a DFZ; 19. Eric Nichols, Distribution of Perocet in a DFZ; 20. Timothy Poulsen, Distribution of Hydrocodone; 21. Dax Robison, Distribution of Oxycodone in a DFZ, Distribution of Oxycodone in a DFZ; 22. Josh Robison, Distribution of Oxycodone in a DFZ, Distribution of Oxycodone in a DFZ; 23. Beth Sherman, Distribution of Heroin in a DFZ, Distribution of Heroin in a DFZ, Distribution of Heroin in a DFZ; 24. Milena Vogt, Distribution of Alprazolam in a DFZ, Distribution of Heroin in a DFZ; 25. Jose Montano, Distribution of Marijuana in a DFZ, Distribution of Methamphetamine in a DFZ, Distribution of Marijuana in a DFZ, Distribution of Marijuana in a DFZ, Distribution of Marijuana in a DFZ, Distribution of Marijuana in a DFZ; 29. Karl Hosie, who turned himself in on Friday, Distribution of Oxycodone in a DFZ, Distribution of Hydrocodone in a DFZ, Distribution of Hydrocodone in a DFZ.Arrested Thursday in connection with the car burglaries were: 26. Joseph Hosie, 42 Counts of Burglary of a Vehicle with Gang Enhancement 3F and one Count of 3rd Degree Felony Theft; 27. Colby Lavery, 52 Counts of Burglary of a Vehicle with Gang Enhancement 3F, two Counts of 3rd Degree Felony Theft, with Gang Enhancement 3F; 28. Daniel Mitchell, 42 Counts of Burglary of a Vehicle with Gang Enhancement 3F, one Count of 3rd Degree Felony Theft, one Count of 3rd Degree Felony Arson and one Count Class B Misdemeanor Criminal Mischief.
"The burglary charges were enhanced pursuant to 76-3-203.1 which provides for a one step enhancement for crimes that are committed in concert with two or more people," said Jared Eldridge, Juab County attorney.