SPRINGFIELD -- A federal grand jury indicted seven people from Pulaski County this month for distributing crack cocaine and ecstasy.  The indictments are in six separate cases after a two-year investigation by several county, state and federal agencies that was announced at a news conference on Wednesday.

   The U.S. attorney's office said the grand jury in Springfield issued the indictments under seal on May 7.  A judge unsealed them on Thursday after eight of the nine defendants appeared in court.  The ninth person is still at large.

   Law officers arrested at least 24 suspects on Wednesday as part of a series of raids in Pulaski and Phelps counties and other places.  County prosecutors charged 16 suspects in the drug distribution ring on Monday.  Pulaski County Sheriff J.B. King said Wednesday that the investigation could ultimately lead to charges against between 30 and 50 people.

   Information on the federal defendants from a news release from the U.S. attorney for Western Missouri:

-- Claudell Haggard of St. Robert and Tammy Keeling of Waynesville are charged as co-defendants in an indictment that alleges they participated in a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine in Pulaski County.

-- Jedediah Carter, Chaddell Carter and Jessika Tabone, all of St. Robert, and Shaun McClure of Chicago are each charged in separate indictments with distributing crack cocaine in Pulaski County.

Jedediah Carter is charged with three counts of distributing five grams or more of crack cocaine in September 2006.

Chaddell Carter is charged with one count of distributing cocaine on Dec. 20, 2006, and one count of distributing five grams or more of crack cocaine on Jan. 30, 2007.

Tabone is charged with two counts of distributing five grams or more of crack cocaine in January 2007, and one count of distribute crack cocaine on April 9, 2007.

McClure is charged with six counts of distributing five grams or more of crack cocaine between Sept. 19, 2006, and March 19, 2007, and two counts of distributing crack cocaine on Sept. 20 and Dec. 20, 2006.

-- Anthony Haggard and Laken Haggard, both of St. Robert, are charged as co-defendants in a conspiracy to distribute ecstasy in Pulaski County.  Anthony and Laken Haggard, who are married, were arrested in St. Louis by U.S. Postal Inspection Service agents.  Norris Robertson of Katy, Texas, also charged in the ecstasy conspiracy, remains at large.

Haggard and Keeling are each charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute five grams or more of crack cocaine from April 20 to July 19, 2006, and one count of distributing five grams or more of crack cocaine on April 20, 2006. Keeling is also charged with one count of distributing cocaine on July 19, 2006.

Robertson, Anthony Haggard and Laken Haggard are each charged with participating in a conspiracy to distribute ecstasy in Pulaski County from March to May 17, 2006. Robertson also is charged with using the mail to facilitate the distribution of ecstasy on May 11, 2006. Laken Haggard is also charged with attempting to possess with intent to distribute ecstasy on May 13, 2006.