Massive drug raid in southern Indiana leads to 25 arrests

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ind. – More than two dozen people have been charged with serious crimes following a months-long investigation into a drug trafficking operation between Kentucky and southern Indiana.

“This investigation was a great success and the result of hundreds of hours of work by officers from multiple law enforcement agencies,” District Attorney David Sutter said in a press release Thursday.

According to Sutter, Operation Iceberg began in February after authorities discovered that Christopher Dorten was a major supplier of methamphetamine in Jefferson County.

Investigators found that Dorten made at least 65 trips to Louisville, where he allegedly obtained meth and cocaine from Darren Richardson, also known as Anthony Richardson, the prosecutor said.

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In mid-August, Dorten was arrested and charged with several crimes, including multiple counts of methamphetamine trafficking, one count of conspiracy to commit methamphetamine trafficking, and one count of conspiracy to commit cocaine trafficking.

He is being held in Jefferson County on $500,000 bail.

Police also arrested Michelle Childress during a search of her home because Dorten had used it to traffic drugs in several states, Sutter said. She is charged with nine aggravated drug offenses and one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Richardson was arrested in Louisville on a warrant for conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine and cocaine. He is being held in a Kentucky jail while awaiting extradition to Indiana, police added.

While detectives continued their investigations into the extensive drug trade, police managed to arrest and charge 22 other people who Dorten allegedly supplied with illegal drugs.

They were all arrested on September 11th and each faces multiple drug charges:

• Jonathan David Clark, 50, of Hanover, Indiana.
• Sabrina Clark, 35, of Hanover, Indiana.
• Sean Eugene Cooksey, 56, of Madison, Indiana.
• Matthew R. Cyrus, 40, of Madison, Indiana.
• Ralph Wayne Davis II, 52, of Madison, Indiana.
• Gregory Todd Griffin, 58, of Versailles, Kentucky.
• Jonathon Gruden-Durham, 31, of Madison, Indiana.
• Jennifer Elizabeth Hendrix, 41, of Madison, Indiana.
• Larry W. Howard III, 52, of Madison, Indiana.
• Jeanie Carol Lansberg, 55, of Commiskey, Indiana.
• Christian Lauderbaugh, 29, of Hanover, Indiana.
• Mark Ellis Lewis, 58, of Madison, Indiana.
• Richard Kyle Lock, 44, of Dupont, Indiana.
• Kelsey Luellen, 29, of Madison, Indiana.
• Cheyenne Elaine Mason, 27, of Madison, Indiana.
• Jennifer Phillips, 52, of Madison, Indiana.
• Jason Allen Posey, 47, of Madison, Indiana.
• Jordan Travis Stewart, 33, of Lexington, Kentucky.
• Chad Uebel, 48, Deputy, Ind.
• Jeremy Webster, 40, of Madison, Indiana.
• R. Paul Yount II, 40, of Madison, Indiana.
• Mandy Demaree, 51, of Vevay, Indiana.

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