Adair County Drug Ring Suspects Still On Run, Authorities Say

A dozen people in Green Country accused of being part of a major meth ring are now charged in federal court. 

3/22/2018 Related Story: Twelve Indicted In Adair County Drug Ring Bust

Investigators need help tracking down two of the people who are charged but are still on the run. 

These arrests and charges are expected to have a major impact on crime in Adair, Cherokee, Sequoyah, and Wagoner counties. 

A group of eight people arrived at the Muskogee County Jail Thursday and are charged with drug trafficking accused of being involved in a drug trafficking ring.

Waylon Williams and Chassidy Burke were indicted last month.

Two others, Carl Cushing and Megan Watkins, are not in custody yet. 

The federal grand jury indictment said the group worked together to get a pound of meth from Oklahoma City, bring it back to Adair County, and distribute it throughout the eastern part of the state. 

It said they used violence to get drug money and went to casinos to convert illegal drug money to gaming money. 

"In their own right, it's a sophisticated operation," said Assistant Special Agent in Charge for DEA Richard Salter. 

The DEA and Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics led the investigation, working with more than a dozen agencies at the local, state and federal level for about 6 months spending thousands of hours to get to this point. 

"There's going to be a huge impact on not only Adair County, Oklahoma but also a big part of eastern Oklahoma and beyond," said US Attorney Brian Kuester.  

Kuester said this investigation is connected to an even broader one that the Oklahoma City area DEA led, which involved high-ranking members in a drug trafficking organization.

"We're going to remain vigilant. We understand the turf and there's going to be tough enforcement of both federal and Oklahoma drug laws in eastern Oklahoma," said District 27 DA Jack Thorpe. 

In federal court Thursday, eight of the people accused of being involved all pleaded not guilty. 

If you know where Cushing or Watkins are, call your local police department.