25 charged in huge county drug bust

In one of the largest drug busts ever for Elmore County, at least 25 people have been arrested or indicted by a grand jury for felony possession or distribution of drugs, mostly methamphetamine.

Sheriff Rick Layher warned, "We are committed to getting these meth users and dealers off the streets and out of our communities...if they don't seek help, we will let them come stay at our 'new house'," referring to the new county jail currently under construction.

Dubbed "Operation Sudden Impact," the eight-month drug investigation was a joint effort with the Idaho State Police, which contributed funding and assistance with the drug operation.

The investigation netted almost 200 grams of crystal methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $20,000.

Elmore County detectives also seized more than a pound of marijuana and almost $11,000 in cash in the drug busts.

As a result of the investigation, the detectives also were able to solve five commercial burglaries and recover more than $10,000 in stolen merchandise.

According to Captain Mike Barclay, "Meth users tend to commit other crimes, like burglary and fraud, to support their addiction."

Layher praised the work of the detectives working the case, who worked lots of overtime hours to conduct the investigations and make the arrests.

"We are going to allocate all of our resources to fight this meth problem," Layher said.

The sheriffs office received several anonymous tips from concerned citizens that led to some major breakthroughs for the detectives.

"Citizen watchdogs reporting suspicious behavior made a big impact in getting search warrants and making arrests," Barclay noted.

Layher is asking for assistance from citizens to "stop the flow of meth" in our communities.

"We need people to be observant, to report suspicious behavior, which they can do anonymously, and protect our kids and families from this very destructive drug," Layher said.

A profile of drug indicators for the state of Idaho show that marijuana is the most abused drug in the state.

Methamphetamine is also widely abused with the crystal form quickly replacing the HCI form in popularity, according to data compiled by the Drug Policy Information Clearinghouse in October 2006.

Profiles of typical users are described as white, high school-educated, in their 20s and 30s and employed as blue-collar or service workers, based on information from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

With the enactment of tougher meth laws , there has been a dramatic decrease in the number of manufacturing labs found in the state.

Barclay said that it has been about two years since an arrest for a meth lab has happened in the county.

"Most of the meth is coming from "super labs" in Mexico and is being smuggled across the border and into the Treasure Valley," Barclay said.

The huge increase in felony drug arrests is contributing significantly to prison overcrowding in Idaho.

In 2004, Idaho had the dubious distinction of having the second highest increase in their prison population at 11.1 percent, based on data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

" We understand that the drug is very addictive," Layher explained, "but we would like to help these people before more families are destroyed."

Layher is pursuing funding for a smaller drug treatment facility for the county that he would like to have operational within the next year.

The sheriffs office released the names of those arrested during Operation Sudden Impact:

James B. John of Mountain Home, Constance M. Sauls of Mountain Home, Charles K. Gibson of Mountain Home, Karl J. Smith of Mountain Home, Douglas J. Collins of Mountain Home, Kelly E. Smith of Mountain Home, Jennifer R. Lutrell of Mountain Home, Leroy N. Wolf of Mountain Home, Jamie Sauls of Mountain Home, Kyle L. Henry of Glenns Ferry, James Mcauly of Poolville, Texas, Gary Liddell of Mountain Home, Jacquelyn T. Fouts of Boise, Rebecca E. Siebert of Mountain Home, David R. Coggeshall of Boise, William J. Gazley of Mountain Home, Alice N. Crane of Mountain Home, Wendy K. Caudill of Mountain Home, Susan Talamantez and Thomas Talamantez of Mountain Home, Mia Caplinger of Mountain Home, Megan D. Standish of Mountain Home, and a female juvenile from Mountain Home.

The detectives said that there are more arrests pending in the investigation.

If a citizen would like to make a report to law enforcement regarding possible drug activity, they can contact the Elmore County Sheriffs office and speak anonymously with a detective at 587-2121.