Thousands of pills, cash and several hand guns are confiscated from the apartment of a former college professor. Police say 57-year-old Paul A. Prosperino was selling prescription drugs from his Walnut Street apartment in Hazard.

Police raided the apartment around 1:00 this afternoon. We're told Prosperino was a former professor at Hazard Community and Technical College, but had not worked there for several years. Most of the prescription drugs they confiscated were hydrocodone. Officials say this case is unlike others they've dealt with because of where the pills came from.

Operation UNITE officials say Paul Prosperino was getting prescription drug shipments from across the world. Law Enforcement Director with UNITE Dan Smoot says, "We fight drugs coming from Florida, drugs coming from Detroit and from other states, but, this particular incident, they were coming from the country of India. They were being shipped in via a private carrier from India."

Investigators first looked in to Prosperino's activity because the community was expressing concern. Smoot says, "We had received complaints on Mr. Prosperino by the local neighbors here in Hazard for several months now."

People in the area say things looked suspicious. One neighbor says, "The strange vehicles would pull up from time to time and circle the neighborhood and pull up and wait and then after a few minutes sitting their running, they would leave."

An undercover officer showed up to the apartment looking to buy hydrocodone. When Prosperino was ready to sell him $200 worth, police arrested him. Inside they found more than two thousand pills, more than two thousand dollars in cash, and several guns. Officials say the shipments from India make this case unique, and the investigation is far from over.

"Among out-of-the-country prescriptions, he has them from several other states. So, although we have been looking at him for several months, there is quite a bit more work to do."

Prosperino's neighbors say they appreciate the work officers do, helping make their neighborhood a little safer. "Any time we can take drugs out of the community, it strengthens it," a neighbor says.

Prosperino is being held at the Kentucky River Regional Jail in Hazard. Investigators say they'll present any additional evidence they find to the Perry County grand jury.