A Boyd County, Ky., deputy jailer, accused of drug charges, has become the fourth jailer arrested in northeast Kentucky in less than a week.

Loval Marshall, 37, of Ashland, Ky., was arrested Thursday night for allegedly buying prescription drugs Boyd County authorities say he was planning to sell to inmates at Boyd County Detention Center.

According to the Boyd County Sheriff's Department, Marshall came in contact with an informant at a local gas station, where deputies say he bought 13 oxycodone pills.

What followed was a slow-speed chase, in which Marshall reportedly threw the pills out the window.

Boyd County deputies said they recovered the pills and to complete the search, found the pill bottle in Marshall's car.

Marshall had worked at the jail for six years, and told officers he had supplied drugs for inmates on other occasions.

Marshall was fired as a result of his arrest.

Tuesday evening, detectives from the Ashland Post of the Kentucky State Police arrested two Carter County Detention Center deputy Jailers and one former deputy jailer, after a two-month investigation into activities involving the three.

Florence Lorraine Savage, 53, of Grayson, Ky., is charged with official misconduct of the first degree.

Detective Erik Kouns said the investigation revealed Savage engaged in inappropriate behavior at Carter County Jail, while both on and off-duty.

"Basically what she did, all I can say is, she made it possible for certain inmates to be able to assault two inmates," said KSP Trooper First Class Elliott Gollihue of the Ashland Post.

Arrested at the same time were Cliff Estep, 28, of Denton, Ky. and former jailer John Fannin II, 25, of Grayson. Both are charged with second-degree official misconduct.

Estep, who was placed in a supervisory role over Savage, was charged after he failed to report the violations that resulted in injury to the two inmates.

"I think their court appearance will be sometime in June," Gollihue said.

FRANK LEWIS can be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 232.