Heroin Ring Said Smashed

The arrests this morning of nine people charged with selling heroin broke up the largest illicit drug operation in the history of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, according to Police Chief Walter E. Krasny. The arrests, made by a combination force of city pólice detectives, Washtenaw County sheriff's deputies and Michigan State Pólice, began at 7 a.m. The arrests were completed inless than three hours. Chief Krasny said there was no resistance. "It can be said that those arrested were chief suppliers of heroin for this county and city," the chief said. "Their apprehension should put a crimp in the drug traffic around here for a while." Preliminary undercover detective work began on the case four months ago when officers said heroin traffic in the city began to "piek up." But the intensive probes which led directly to the arrests were launched only four weeks ago. Prosecuting Attorney William F. Delhey issued authorizations for rants for the heroin arrests recently. He had been kept informed of the progress of the secret investigation at every stage and provided the legal advice on which the evidence was gathered. All detectives working on the case had been detached from their pólice agencies some weeks ago and several Detroit Pólice Department officers were included in the small force which put the case together, Chief Krasny said. Sheriff Douglas J. Harvey provided several men for the task force and Michigan State Pólice took men from various posts for the investigation. "This was sensitive, dangerous work," Chief Krasny pointed out. "At any given point lives - pólice lives- were on the line. It was very serious business." The chief said although a dozen persons were apprehended, only nine will be held and charged with sale of heroin at this time. The remaining three will be released after questioning, he said. "The arrests do not mean the investigation is over," Krasny said. "We're going to continue this push. The heat's going to stay on and the pushers and the users might as well know it." Those arrested who will be arraigned this afternoon before Ann Arbor District Court Judge S. J. Elden include: Ricky Cole, alias Frank Flanagan, alias Ricky Flanagan, whose last known address was 622 N. Main St., arrested at the Ramada Inn, 2880 Jackson Rd,; Margaret Jones, 43, and Frank Jones, 52, believed to be husband and wife, also arrested at the Ramada Inn; Lucy Luckett, 39, and Ronald Luckett, 19, both arrested at the city's public housing project, 701 N. Maple Rd., and believed to be brother and sister; Also arrested on the sale of heroin charge were Mortimer Patterson Jr., 33, of 119% E. Ann St., who was arrested on a city street; Tommie Lee Perkins, 44, arrested at 2702 Arrowwood Dr., his home address; Larry Pickett, 25, taken into custody at his home, 1440 Pear St. ; and Robert Presberry, 33, of 110 E. Davis St., arrested at his home.