The dangers of the opioid crisis took center stage in Toledo, Ohio, after a major drug bust last week. Acting on a tip from a wary hotel manager, police arrested three people from Texas who thought they were going to make $1M by selling the deadly synthetic opiate fentanyl. Instead, they wound up being arrested and charged with a multi-state drug conspiracy. Apparently, they had enough of the drug to kill the entire city of Toledo.
According to police, Anthony Robinson, 32, Darrius Lewis, 29, and Barbara Wilson, 21, traveled from Houston to Toledo to make the deal. A police affidavit stated that a manager at a Red Roof Inn contacted police and stated that “three persons had just checked into the hotel and that they were acting strange.”
Upon investigating the manger’s tip, surveillance was set up on the trio and it was discovered that Robinson and Lewis have a history of prior arrests and convictions for narcotics and firearm-related offenses. Police followed the trio as they went to a post office and sent off a package that law enforcement seized. The package was contained 2.2 lbs (1kg) of fentanyl stuffed in a coffee can and wrapped in heat-sealed plastic. The delivery address was in Texas.
Police followed the trio back to the hotel and made the arrest and recovered an additional amount of fentanyl and $8,500 in cash. The total street value of the 3.5 lbs of fentanyl was worth an estimated $1M. According to US Attorney Justin Herdman, “The fentanyl seized [on Tuesday] is enough to kill everyone in Toledo several times over.”
“The #fentanyl seized last night is enough to kill everyone in Toledo several times over.” Great work, Toledo Bulk Cash Smuggling Task Force! #toledopolice #teamwork #keepingtoledosafe @OhioAG @NDOHnews Read more: https://t.co/azMs0hiGcR pic.twitter.com/NzI3cR37wj
— Toledo Police (@ToledoPolice) March 21, 2018
Fentanyl has been at the root of the opioid crisis that has hit America. Many people hooked on heroin or prescription pain pills are unaware that pills that appear to be Percocet or oxycontin may, in fact, contain fentanyl, which is 100 times more powerful than morphine. There has also been an increase in overdose and deaths by addicts who are using heroin unaware that fentanyl has been placed into the drug. Music legend Prince died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl at his home. His death and the realization he had been struggling with chronic pain and addiction for decades literally shocked the world.
