28 Suspects Arrested In Multi-County Drug Raid

After an 18-month long investigation, agents with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and local police have sought 35 arrest warrants and seven search warrants involving a massive methamphetamine and cocaine drug ring. 

Investigators said most of the drug traffickers were arrested in Anadarko, but there were a few in Chickasha too.

Authorities said two suspects were already in custody.

Clifton Wilson and David Duncan were allegedly running the operation with smuggled cellphones from their prison cells in McAlester at the state penitentiary.

"We had gotten tips that this was going on," said Chief Eric Harlan of the Anadarko Police Department. 

The chief said that his team was working on the case, along with the state, since January of 2019. Both organizations said that it's likely the methamphetamine was coming from Mexico.

Because of the quantities involved, agents said the Oklahoma drug ring was well-connected.

"We were able to dismantle a whole organization from the top down," said Mark Woodward of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics. "You have to be high up to be able to get on the phone and order two pounds of methamphetamine and a half pound of cocaine."

While 28 have been arrested, police have 35 suspects in total, and not all of their names have been released.

News 9 has learned that one of the suspects is Sheldon Wilson.

Wilson is a former local football standout and soon to be Anadarko football coach.

Anadarko Public Schools released the following statement:

"We are saddened, shocked, and disappointed at the arrest of Sheldon Wilson this morning.

Sheldon was a tremendous athlete and enjoyed much athletic success during his playing days at

Anadarko High School. Sheldon was planning to serve as a lay coach on the football staff for the

upcoming season but as a result of this incident that will not occur."

Those arrested in Anadarko and Grady County were all rounded up and brought to the Caddo County fairgrounds and tested for COVID before they were booked.

The fight against meth is not over, according to police.

"That's not all of the drug dealers in town. We have still got some to do," said Harlan.

Police said the arrests will bring other crimes like theft in the community down too.

Agents seized several pounds of meth, cell phones, and drug paraphernalia while executing the 7 search warrants Friday morning.

Charges in the case are expected in the coming days.