Convicted felon, 22, busted ‘with enough Fentanyl to kill 4,000 people’
Deputies with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office headquartered in Naples, Florida, arrested a 22-year-old convicted felon on drug trafficking and weapon charges and confiscated enough of the dangerous opioid fentanyl to kill over 4,000 people during a traffic stop on Tuesday evening.
Giovanni Francois of 5326 Sholtz St. is charged with fentanyl trafficking, cocaine trafficking, possession of a weapon by a gang-related felon, possession of a controlled substance – amphetamine, possession of marijuana, and possession of narcotic equipment.
“Our deputy’s proactive policing likely saved lives by taking deadly drugs off the street,” said Sheriff Kevin Rambosk. “This traffic stop also put a halt to this convicted felon’s criminal activity.”
Around 10:30 p.m., a deputy monitoring traffic in East Naples saw a tan Kia Optima traveling above the speed limit in the area of Naples Manor. The deputy activated his vehicle’s emergency equipment. Soon after, the deputy saw the front-seat passenger, later identified as Francois, put his hand out the window and toss a bag onto the road.
The Kia continued to travel and the deputy watched Francois drop a box out the window. The vehicle finally came to a stop at the intersection of St. Andrews Boulevard and Hidden Valley Drive where deputies conducted a traffic stop.
Deputies recovered the discarded bag and box and found the following items inside:
- A 9mm handgun. The firearm was fully loaded with seven rounds of ammunition and one round in the chamber.
- Multiple clear bags containing fentanyl, crack cocaine, cocaine, amphetamine and marijuana.
- Multiple empty bags and packages, and labels consistent with narcotics packaging.
Deputies searched the vehicle and found more fentanyl and cocaine.
Francois, the registered owner of the vehicle, was taken into custody and transported to the Collier County jail.
In all, deputies recovered and seized:
- 8.4 grams of fentanyl
- 45.7 grams of crack cocaine
- 9 grams of amphetamine
- 0.2 grams of powder cocaine
- 18.5 grams of marijuana
Deputies said the recovered fentanyl was enough to kill 4,200 people.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says 1 kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, fentanyl is a powerful opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin. It can be a threat to anyone who comes into contact with it as it can be absorbed through the skin or accidentally inhaled.
(Source: Collier County Sheriff’s Office)
~ Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter
