Four arrested after major drug bust

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Joseph Peay
Raphael O. Ray
Kalen T. Evans
Curtis Adams
Officers found a hidden compartment inside of a car on Wednesday with more than $30,000 worth of drugs inside, including more than 700 pills. Photo by Matt Thacker

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June 30, 2011

Four arrested after major drug bust

Floyds Knobs man accused of dealing $700 in pills each week

By MATT THACKER Matt.Thacker@newsandtribune.com The News and Tribune Thu Jun 30, 2011, 02:31 AM EDT

FLOYDS KNOBS — A Floyds Knobs resident accused of selling nearly $400,000 a year in pills was arrested this week. Three men from Detroit, who were allegedly bringing him the drugs, were also jailed.

Floyd County Sheriff Darrell Mills said an investigation involving their agency and the Jeffersonville Police Department has been ongoing for six months.

Officers gathered enough information for a search warrant Monday and entered a house where 30-year-old Joseph Peay lives in the 1600 block of Ballou Road. The address is listed as Floyds Knobs but is just across the border in Clark County.

Officers found about 25 or 30 Opana pills inside the home, and Peay was arrested on preliminary charges of dealing and possession of a schedule II controlled substance, a class B felony, and maintaining a common nuisance. He was transported to the Michael L. Becher Adult Corrections Complex.

Police also gathered information that allowed them to intercept a vehicle reportedly headed toward Peay’s residence.

A 2008 Chrysler 300 was stopped at Ind. 111 North and St. Joe Road in Floyd County on Tuesday. Raphael O. Ray, 26, who police noted is 6 feet 9 inches and 420 pounds, was driving the vehicle. Officers found a hidden compartment with more than $30,000 worth of drugs.

“It was really hidden. They had to really work on it for a while,” Mills said.

Police seized 480 Opana pills and 250 Xanax pills. The Opana sells for about $60 to $65 per pill, while the Xanax sells for about $15 to $20 per pill, Mills said.

Curtis H. Adams, 51, and Kalen T. Evans, 20, were both passengers in the vehicle and were arrested for possession of marijuana under 30 grams.

Ray was arrested for dealing and possession of a schedule II controlled substance and dealing, a class B felony, and possession of a schedule III controlled substance, a class C felony. They were transported to the Floyd County Jail.

“People will do without paying their bills to get this once they are addicted, and obviously this strain that’s coming through Detroit is about the profit they are going to make,” Mills said.

Mills said Opana is a growing problem. This year alone, the sheriff’s department has investigated three deaths where autopsy results showed Opana was a factor. The sheriff said the drug dealers target students, so he is pleased they removed the drugs before school starts.

Mills said they believe Peay was selling the drugs to people in Clark and Floyd counties and in Jefferson County, Ky. He said other people will likely be charged as a result of this investigation.