Drug Task Agents sent eight people to jail Friday night and made agency history with the largest prescription pill bust seen inside Andalusia.

Lt. Paul Hudson said the night’s events were the result of a nearly four-year long investigation into the alleged drug dealing habits of 45-year-old David Maddox, who was arrested and charged with three counts of distribution of controlled substance after nearly 100 pills were confiscated from inside his Mock Street home.

He is currently being held in the Covington County Jail under a $300,000 bond.

“We had been hearing about and hearing about what was happening there, I’d say for at least three to four years,” Hudson said. “We fortunately found a confidential informant to use that could make buys from him.”

Hudson said the informant made three “pill purchases” from Maddox.

“Using that information, we were able to obtain a search warrant for his home,” he said. “While we were there we had people come there to deliver pills for him to sell and others who had come to buy prescription pills.”

Hudson said the transactions involved Lortab and Xanax pills.

Arrested for allegedly attempting to sell Maddox pills were:

Curtis Capers, 26, of Opp.

Melody Willhite, 34, of Opp.

Vena Kirk, 43, of Opp

Sandra Hill, 45, of Andalusia.

Willie Larry Cowan, 51, of Andalusia.

Each was charged with attempted distribution of a controlled substance and held on a $100,000 bond.

Also arrested for allegedly trying to purchase pills were:

Teresa Edgar, 34, of Opp, who was charged with attempting to possess a controlled substance and held on a $10,000 bond.

Christina Fuller, 29, of Andalusia. Fuller also faces charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of controlled substance. She was held on $23,000 bond.

“Prescription pills are quickly becoming an epidemic in Covington County,” Hudson said. “Everyone knows how meth invaded Covington County, and we’re almost to the point where pills are at the same level.”

Hudson said prices range from $5 to $10 per Lortab pill and upwards between $40-$50 for Dilaudids and Oxycotin pills.

“If you think about it this way, one of the people we arrested had two bottles with 22 Lortabs each inside,” he said. “They paid $2.20 for both of those bottles at the pharmacy. So by selling one pill, they’ve made their money back.”

Hudson said fake prescriptions are quickly becoming the quickest and easiest way for pill abusers to obtain their wares.

“But our local pharmacies are catching on to how these people operate,” he said. “We can’t say thank you enough to them for their assistance.”

Hudson said the investigation is continuing to determine exactly what other involvement others might have in the alleged prescription pill operation.