Oregon cops seize 18 pounds of fentanyl from passed out driver, enough fentanyl to kill four million people
On October 26, Oregon’s Eugene Police Department reported seizing the largest amount of Fentanyl in the history of their department. By the time all was said and done, police recovered about 18 pounds of the deadly drug. The New York Post shared that the 18 pounds of fentanyl is enough to kill over four million people. A lethal dose of the drug contains just 2 milligrams, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
At around 10:49 p.m. on October 19, a Eugene Police officer was working impaired driver and traffic enforcement for his assigned shift and responded to the intersection of E. 11th Avenue and High Street for a welfare check on a driver slumped over the steering wheel at the stop light. The driver, Andre Lavell Johnson, age 42, of Portland, was found unconscious and police pinned the vehicle in before rousing him.
When he woke up, Johnson attempted to start the vehicle and refused commands to stop. He was removed from the vehicle and during their exchange, officers spotted a firearm near his feet. Officers also saw bags containing pills, later determined to be fentanyl, matching the description of currently circulating counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl.
A further search and subsequent arrest found that Johnson also had a large amount of cash and multiple phones. Street Crimes Unit drug detection K9 Jack alerted to the presence of controlled substances on the cash and the firearm, which was found to be stolen out of another jurisdiction. Johnson also had warrants for his arrest.
Johnson was lodged at Lane County Jail on his warrants as well as probable cause charges of DUII (driving under the influence of intoxicants) Felony, Driving While Suspended Felony, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and two counts of Unlawful Delivery of a Schedule 2 Controlled Substance.
Over the next 28 hours, Eugene Police continued to investigate; and officers and detectives conducted follow up search warrants on Johnson’s vehicles and residence where they seized approximately 18 pounds of suspected fentanyl in both powder and pill form, 12 firearms and over $47,000 in cash. Of the firearms seized in this case 6 were confirmed to have been previously stolen.
This continues to be an active investigation and police say that additional charges are pending.
(Source and all images: Eugene Police Department)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter
