A Florida man with enough fentanyl to kill over 4,000 people is off the streets and behind bars, according to investigators.
David Graham, 31, of Lehigh Acres was arrested and charged with trafficking in fentanyl 4 grams or more and use/display a firearm during a felony.
“Graham’s arrest comes as the Collier County Sheriff’s Office is leading an attack on fentanyl in our community. Last week Sheriff Kevin Rambosk unveiled a communitywide fentanyl awareness and prevention campaign. The Laced & Lethal campaign is the most comprehensive safety initiative in the history of Collier County,” said CCSO.
In the news: 3 Men Acquitted In Michigan Gov. Whitmer Kidnapping Plot
Collier County Sheriff Rambosk commended the deputies who conducted yesterday’s traffic stop and found the fentanyl, which was hidden in the vehicle.
“These pills were disguised to look like legitimate prescription pills, which is an alarming nationwide trend,” Sheriff Rambosk said. “I’ve said this before and I’m going to keep saying it, ‘If you didn’t get it from a pharmacy you should not ingest it. The consequences can be fatal.”
According to investigators, deputies conducted a traffic stop on Interstate 75 in the area of Turner River Road around noon after they observed a gray Cadillac travelling over the speed limit and following extremely close behind a semi-truck/trailer through a construction zone.
The driver, Graham, told deputies he was out driving on the interstate because “Lehigh Acres was boring,” according to his arrest report. When a deputy asked him if there were any weapons in the vehicle, he said there weren’t any. But when asked the same question a few minutes later by another deputy he said he had a firearm in the center console.
A CCSO K9 alerted to the presence of narcotics inside Graham’s vehicle.
In the news: Tampa Tire Slasher Arrested By Hillsborough County Sheriff
Deputies conducted a probable cause search. Under the driver-side floorboard hidden below the floor mat deputies found a clear plastic bag containing 50 blue fentanyl pills. The fentanyl weighed 8.7 grams, enough to kill 4,350 people.
The fentanyl pills were imprinted with “M” and “30” to resemble prescription “30 M” oxycodone hydrochloride 30 mg pills.
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, criminal networks increasingly disguise fentanyl by mixing it into pills designed to mimic prescription painkillers. Fentanyl pills have caused people who believed they were genuine to overdose.
Just 2 mg of fentanyl – equal to a few grains of table salt – is a lethal dosage for most people, and even exposure can cause a fatal reaction, according to the DEA.
The search of Graham’s vehicle also turned up a firearm in the center console. The firearm had a live round of ammunition in the chamber and a magazine with eight more live rounds of ammunition in it.
You can learn more about Sheriff Rambosk’s Laced & Lethal campaign by visiting colliersheriff.org/lacedandlethal.
Android Users, Click To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter. Signup for our free newsletter.
We can’t do this without your help; visit our GiveSendGo page and donate any dollar amount; every penny helps