MALONE, N.Y. -
In a number of communities across Franklin County, New York, state police acted on cases they had been working on for months.
Bob Cook and his girlfriend, Lowrie Jones, live next to a Malone home, where police say 26-year-old Charles Fuller sold prescription pills.
"They were bound to catch him," said Cook.
Cook says he grew suspicious of fuller over the past six months.
"Cars would come and go all the time," said Cook.
In a news conference Tuesday police announced they arrested 23 people.
It was a year-long operation that used more than 40 officers.
A troubling fact for police, ten of the suspects sold pills that they got from Medicaid dollars.
"I think the fact that these people continue to pray on the healthcare system and we're paying for it and they're selling it to make more off it. There's definitely a big issue there," said Malone Police Chief Chris Premo.
Another new trend they've noticed is people come to Franklin County thinking they won't get in trouble.
"A lot of people from the city are seeing people arrested for the same type of sales receiving medical diversion, which is somewhat like a probation sentence," said Franklin County Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Crawford.
But they say that won't be the case here as prosecutors say these suspects face up to nine years in prison.
Police say Tuesday's sting is only the beginning.
They plan to make several more drug-related arrests before the end of the summer.
People arrested:
Shelly Nason, 51 of Malone, NY
Leigh Perry, 28, North Bangor, NY
Melissa Dupee, 27, Fort Covington, NY
Mark Perry, 49, North Bangor, NY
Troy Benedict, 36, Hogansburg, NY
Tyler Curlyhead, 40, Bombay, NY
Edward Mitchell, 32, Tupper Lake, NY
Corey Hall, 30, Gouverneaur, NY
Jeremy Brossoit, 20, Fort Covington, NY
Cecelia Sharrow, 19, Hogansburg, NY
Albert Sembera, 24, Akwesasne, NY
Stephen Whitley, 23, Tupper Lake, NY
Christopher Sluyter, 30, Tupper Lake, NY
Savanna Buckson, 28, Malone, NY
Tommy Beam, 21, Malone, NY
Michael Lewis, 35, Malone, NY
Walter Lamay, 36, Malone, NY
Bennie Pittman, 37, Malone, NY
Charles Fuller, 26, Malone, NY
Michael Gonyea, 40, Gabriels, NY
Anthony Cook, 31, Malone, NY
Jessica Brown, 29, Fort Covington, NY
Grace Miola, 23, Chateaugay, NY
