By Jamie Satterfield
Knoxville News Sentinel
A University of Tennessee Police officer is among those rounded up Tuesday in one of the largest drug investigations ever conducted in Union County, officials said.
A total of 50 defendants are named in a slew of indictments handed up by a Union County grand jury this week, including Dylan Boyd Devault, 40, of Luttrell.
Devault had been employed by the Union County Sheriff’s Department before taking a job as an officer with the UT Police Department in October. UT spokeswoman Karen Simsen said Devault was “no longer employed” with the agency “as of Monday.”
Eighth Judicial Assistant District Attorney General Tracy Jenkins said Devault is charged with the sale and delivery of hydrocodone, a prescription painkiller.
The roundup of arrestees began Tuesday morning and was the result of a long-term undercover probe by law enforcers with the FBI, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, according to FBI spokeswoman Stacie J. Bohanan. Assisting in Tuesday’s arrests were the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Union County Sheriff’s Office and the 8th Judicial District Drug Task Force.
“It’s a large-scale investigation for Union County given the number of individuals (targeted) in such a small community,” said 8th Judicial District Attorney General Paul Phillips.
The 8th Judicial District includes Union County as well as surrounding counties.
Jenkins said the probe targeted dealers of prescription painkillers, including OxyContin, a powerful opiate, and cocaine. Some of the defendants also are accused of attempted thefts as part of their drug operations.
“There were people who were dealing together,” Jenkins said. But she added that the entire 50 defendants were not part of a single conspiracy.
She was mum on investigative tactics employed but noted law enforcers used traditional undercover tactics over a long span of time.
“It was a traditional drug investigation,” she said.
Copyright 2011 ProQuest Information and Learning