A Valentine's Day purchase of prescription pills has resulted in the arrest of three Harlan County residents.

Charged with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance were 53-year-old Sherrie Lynn Jackson, her daughter, Heather Polly, and Polly's boyfriend, 44-year-old Lyttle Combs Jr., according to Mike Luttrell, manager of Operation UNITE's Kentucky River Drug Task Force.

According to Luttrell, a confidential informant went to Jackson's home on Highway 522 in Cumberland and purchased a quantity of 80mg OxyContin pills from Combs.

After obtaining a search warrant for the home, detectives from UNITE returned to the home shortly before 9 p.m. with officers from the Harlan County Sheriff's Office, Cumberland Police Department and Lynch Police Department.

Police found $456 in cash, 30.5 OxyContin pills, 31 Endocet pills, 10 Hydrocodone pills, and an unknown quantity of mixed pills that had been cut in half.

All three individuals were taken to the Harlan County Detention Center.

Jackson's husband, Claude "Peppy" Jackson, is currently serving time in prison for a first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance charge resulting from a separate UNITE investigation.

For more information about Operation UNITE visit their website at www.operationunite.org.

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In 2003, Fifth District Congressman Harold "Hal" Rogers (R-Somerset) worked to create Operation UNITE, a regional anti-drug initiative empowering citizens groups and community leaders in 29 southern and eastern Kentucky counties. UNITE, which stands for Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment & Education, seeks to fight the drug epidemic by expanding drug awareness and education programs to keep people from using drugs; coordinating drug treatment and outreach programs for those who are already addicted; and operating regional undercover law enforcement task forces for interdiction and prosecution of those dealing drugs. Rogers has directed
$33.1 million in federal funds to the counter-drug initiative over the past three years. For more information contact Karen Engle toll-free at 1-866-678-6483.

Drug Tip Hotline ­ 1-866-424-4382
Treatment Referral Hotline ­ 1-866-90-UNITE (1-866-908-6483)