Barry Anderson

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STUART, Va. — Seven people, including a Mount Airy man and two Claudville residents, have been arrested on federal narcotics-trafficking and weapons indictments, according to Patrick County Sheriff Dan Smith.

One person indicted, Barry James Anderson, 41, of Claudville, is still at large.

The indictments were issued by a grand jury in late February, with the arrests part of two-year covert investigation by the Patrick Sheriff’s Office which spanned all parts of the county, Smith said.

He added that the federal indictments involve large-scale narcotics-distribution networks, with several of them pertaining to firearms being used in facilitating the trafficking of those narcotics.

Those arrested were:

• Joshua Clifton Hodges, 30, of Mount Airy, on charges of distribution of cocaine and possession of a firearm used in the furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense;

• Susan Kay Nester, 53, of Claudville, who is charged with distribution of methamphetamine in excess of 50 grams in weight;

• Tommy Gray Burkhart, 59, of Claudville, charged with distribution of methamphetamine in excess of 50 grams in weight.

Three other persons arrested are from the Patrick Springs-Critz sections of Patrick County, while another hails from Collinsville in Henry County. They collectively are facing felony marijuana- and cocaine-related charges in addition to firearms violations.

Anderson, 41, meanwhile, the Claudville man who remained at large as of Tuesday afternoon, is wanted on two federal indictments for distribution of methamphetamine in excess of 50 grams in weight.

He also is sought on a state probation violation and two charges of failure to appear in Patrick County Circuit Court. The sheriff advised that Anderson has been actively evading capture and is considered a fugitive from justice.

Anyone with information of Anderson’s whereabouts is urged to contact Smith at (276) 694-3161.

Smith said more federal indictments are expected as part of the investigation, which also involved 84 individuals being arrested in December on 300 indictments handed down by a Patrick County grand jury.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Roanoke and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) assisted local authorities in the operation. Sgt. Eric O’Connell and Investigator Darrell Rorrer of the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office were the lead investigators on all cases.