WAYNESVILLE, Mo. — Nearly 30 people face state or federal drug charges in a sting operation that uncovered evidence of drug sales at Fort Leonard Wood, authorities said.
Some civilian employees of mess halls at the U.S. Army fort were among those arrested Wednesday, Pulaski County Sheriff J.B. King said. No military personnel were believed to have been arrested, he said.
During the two-year investigation, an undercover state trooper purchased heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine and ecstasy, authorities said.
Fourteen people face charges in Pulaski County, with four others charged in nearby Phelps County, court records show. On Thursday, federal officials announced the indictments of nine other people.
Most of the state charges were for felony drug possession or drug distribution, carrying penalties of up to 15 years. The federal charges involve drug sales that allegedly happened at Fort Leonard Wood, King said.
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During Wednesday's arrests, authorities said, officers found a hand grenade and one other military explosive device, as well as firearms. But St. Robert police Chief Curtis Curenton called the seized weapons "antiquated," likely kept by their owners as keepsakes.
"I don't believe people need to be concerned about stuff getting stolen from Fort Leonard Wood," he said Thursday.