Chester SC man charged after ATF, deputies seize 1,000 fentanyl pills and guns
A Chester man was arrested after federal agents and Chester County deputies seized about 1,000 illegal fentanyl drug pills and two guns Tuesday, officials said.
The seizure and arrest came a day after federal DEA officials warned the public about dangerous fentanyl opioid pills that have contributed to thousands of overdose deaths across America.
Christopher Nathaniel Price Jr., 30, was charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and two counts of possession of a weapon by a person convicted of a violent felony, according to a statement from the Chester County Sheriff’s Office and jail booking records.
The federal ATF and Chester deputies found the drugs and handguns Tuesday during a search of a home on Ashford Street in Chester, a statement from the sheriff’s office said.
Price remains in the Chester County jail, records show.
The pills found were “pressed” pills that are illegal, deputies said.
Police also seized five dogs and a motorcycle that had been reported stolen, officials said.
DEA: Fentanyl overdoses a public safety problem
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid pain reliever that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
The federal Drug Enforcement Agency issued a public warning Monday about the dangers of illegal pills and overdoses. The alert said overdose deaths are a public safety problem.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last year more than 93,000 people died of drug overdoses in the United States. That’s the largest number of drug-related deaths ever recorded in a year, according to the DEA.
Fentanyl, the synthetic opioid most commonly found in counterfeit pills, is the primary driver of this alarming increase in overdose deaths, DEA officials said in Monday’s public safety alert.
“International and domestic criminal drug networks are mass-producing fake pills, falsely marketing them as legitimate prescription pills, and killing unsuspecting Americans,” the DEA said. “These counterfeit pills are easy to purchase, widely available, and often contain deadly doses of fentanyl. Pills purchased outside of a licensed pharmacy are illegal, dangerous and potentially lethal.”
