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New Video: Drug Bust Leads to 38 Arrests on Fort Peck Indian Reservation

By KFBB News Team

Story Created: Nov 24, 2009 at 6:19 PM MST

Story Updated: Nov 25, 2009 at 6:46 PM MST

The investigation into the abuse of prescription pills and other illegal narcotics in Roosevelt County and Fort Peck Indian Reservation began back in April of this year.

And this week's arrests appear to be just the beginning of the issue.

With problems including prescription drug crime like burglaries, robberies and homicides, as well as prescription pill related diseases from intravenous drug use, Roosevelt County Sheriff Freedom Crawford says the problem is huge.

Monday's arrests included the execution of 44 warrants, including 38 warrants for arrest and six search warrants. Drugs seized from the reservation included morphine, hydrocodone, oxycontin, tramadol and gabapentin.

"We`ve gathered intel for years but in April, I guess it was, we developed a couple of sources that were willing to work with us," says Ron Kemp, the undersheriff of Roosevelt County. "Private citizens that wanted to try and help out. They had access to some of these people. Started out as a small venture and this is what it turned into."

Investigators say the rise in prescription drug abuse began in 2005, right about the time that federal laws began cracking down on meth.

"We really saw a decline in methamphetamine in 2005, after they passed pseudophedrine laws requiring you to produce ID and limit the amount you can purchase," says Kemp. "That`s when we really saw an increase in the diversion of prescription pills."

Officers say drugs continue to be a problem in Roosevelt County due to high levels of unemployment.

"For years I`ve seen, it`s become their survival mode for a lot of people here because of the decline of jobs here," says Jose Figueroa Jr., the director of public safety at Ft. Peck Tribes. "When you have a community that`s 76-percent employed, there`s other means of survival to go to, and unfortunately narcotics is one way out for them."

Yet those here can't escape the health problems that are skyrocketing due to the rampant prescription drug abuse.

"We have identified around 220 people who are Hepatitis C positive, which means to us that eventually when they become symptomatic to their disease, it`s going to cost us a tremendous amount of money to keep those people healthy you might say," says James Melbourne, the Tribal Health Director of Ft. Peck Tribes.

While more arrests are expected, Sheriff Crawford says this is the biggest drug bust Roosevelt County has ever seen.

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