SELLERSBURG, Ind. (WAVE-TV) - Nearly a year before the eclipse, Indiana State Police started working on "Operation Total Eclipse."
ISP landed 20 major drug arrests in southern Indiana Thursday, and more are expected.
Sgt. Jerry Goodin said around 100 local, state and federal officers took part in the arrest sweep that started around 7:30 a.m. and spanned seven counties.
"You can expect a knock on your door," Goodin said. "Any time that you can take 20 death dealers, and that's what we call them, death dealers, off the streets, you're making a big difference."
One of the largest seizures was in Lexington, Indiana, where police said they found $10,000 in meth and arrested Garry Morrow, 37, Garry Lowery, 64, and Suzanne Wiesman, 36.
It was just two doors down from Mary Long, who moved into the area nearly 50 years ago.
"This was a quiet neighborhood," Long said. "In the last six months, every so often, the police are here."
She said the home on South Hardy Mill Road was a well-known drug house.
"Every neighbor knows it around here," Long said. "I'm glad it's going to be gone."
ISP is still weighing and totaling all of the confiscated drugs.
"People have a right to live safe and free of drugs and not worry about their children," Goodin said.
ISP said fed up neighbors deserve a lot of the credit for the arrests.
Below are the people arrested, their charges and the jail they were incarcerated in:
- Chad Anderson, 39, Pekin, IN. Charges: dealing in meth, two counts; possession of meth, two counts. Washington County Jail.
- Corey Bohannon, 30, Borden, IN. Charges: dealing in meth, two counts; possession of meth, two counts. Clark County Jail.
- Zane Bowman, 45, Salem, IN. Charges: dealing in meth; possession of meth. Washington County Jail.
- Jonathan Chilton, 32, Seymour, IN. Charges: dealing in meth, two counts; possession of meth, two counts; dealing in heroin, possession of heroin. Jackson County Jail.
- Gary W. Dent, 30, Pekin, IN. Charges: dealing in meth; possession of meth. Washington County Jail.
- Christopher M. Hammill, 37, Lexington, IN. Charges: dealing in meth, two counts; possession of meth, two counts. Clark County Jail.
- Lucas Hatcher, 21, Salem, IN. Charges: dealing in meth, two counts; possession of meth, two counts; habitual felony offender.
Washington County Jail. - Robin R. Hodson, 46, Salem, IN. Charges: dealing in meth, two counts; possession of meth, two counts. Scott County Jail.
- Jessica M. Lopez, 27, Pekin, IN. Charges: dealing in meth; possession of meth. Washington County Jail.
- Timothy Mitchell, Jr., 33, Clarksville, IN. Charges: dealing in meth; possession of meth. Clark County Jail.
- Garry E. Morrow, 37, Lexington, IN. Charges: dealing in meth, two counts; possession of meth, two counts. Scott County Jail.
- Garry Lowery, 64, Lexington, IN. Charges: possession of meth; possession of paraphernalia; maintaining a common nuisance. Arrested on new charges. Scott County Jail.
- Suzanne Wiesman, 36, Lexington, IN. Charges: dealing in meth; possession of meth; possession of stolen property; possession of paraphernalia; maintaining a common nuisance. Arrested on new charges. Scott County Jail.
- Mary Ruth Pierce, 38, Salem, IN. Charges: dealing in meth, two counts; possession of meth, two counts. Washington County Jail.
- Clarissa L. Roach, 33, Hardinsburg, IN. Charges: dealing in meth, five counts; possession of meth, two counts. Washington County Jail.
- Kenneth R. Saylor, 58, Pekin, IN. Charges: dealing in meth. Harrison County Jail.
- Constance M. Scanlon, 42, Salem, IN. Charges: dealing in meth; possession of meth; aiding, inducing or causing an offense (dealing in meth). Washington County Jail.
- Jamie R. Sheckles, 33, New Albany, IN. Charges: dealing in meth, four counts; possession of meth; dealing in a narcotic drug, two counts; possession of a narcotic drug; unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon; possession of a controlled substance; dealing in marijuana; possession of marijuana; maintaining a common nuisance; possession of paraphernalia. Floyd County Jail.
- Leslie E. Spaulding, 37, Salem, IN. Charges: dealing in meth, two counts; possession of meth, two counts. Washington County Jail.
- Anthony Spencer, 35, North Vernon, IN. Charges: dealing in meth; possession of meth; habitual felony offender. Clark County Jail.
"The number of tips that we have received has been unbelievable and what we're telling those folks is keep those tips coming in," Goodin said. "Give us a chance to take care of them."
The sweeps will continue and a new ISP unit has the job of arresting a dealer every day.
"If you're dealing drugs, I'm telling you right now, it'd be a good time to stop," Goodin said.
ISP said with every drug arrest, they will also be start an investigation to find where the drugs came from.
They will also begin arresting people who overdose, citing the drugs in their system as possession.