Three Arrests Made on Trafficking in Fentanyl in Just Two Days / From the Office of DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden:

There are two kinds of Fentanyl – the pharmaceutical fentanyl – prescribed by a physician to treat severe pain, especially after surgery and for advanced stage cancer patients.  And then there is illegally made fentanyl, liquid or powder, which is commonly mixed with other drugs.  It can also be made into pills that are made to look like other prescription pills.   Fentanyl is being mixed with other drugs – like heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and even marijuana.

Parents are urged to speak with your children of all ages, and to express the dangers of this highly potent drug – advise them to please pay attention when going out with friends, to watch their drinks and do not take any kind of medication, no matter what it is, from anyone you don’t know.  If you suspect that your child – or a loved one is using fentanyl – get them help before it is too late.  Call the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office at (256) 845-3801. 

On Tuesday, October 3rd Narcotics Agents were following up on information about alleged trafficking activities of Blayden Lane Woodall (20 of Fyffe).  Agents stopped Woodall on Airport Road finding pressed fentanyl in his vehicle.  Later during a search of Woodall’s residence, 271 pressed fentanyl pills were found.  Woodall was charged with Trafficking in any Illegal Drug and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. 

On Monday, October 2nd, DeKalb County Narcotics Agents went to a residence on Bailey Chappel Road in Powell to follow up on a tip they’d had on possible drug use.  When Agents arrived at that location – methamphetamine was spotted on the front porch and once inside the residence Agents found over 30 pressed Fentanyl pills.  Kansas Shay Wilkerson (25 of Section) was charged with Trafficking in any Illegal Drug, Unlawful Possession of Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and 3 warrants for Failure to Appear.  Justin Dewayne Gilbreath (25 of Sylvania) was charged with Trafficking in any Illegal Drug (x2) and with the Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.  Gilbreath was out on bond for Trafficking in Fentanyl, for less than a month.  Bruce Dewayne Rowland (59 of Rainsville) was charged with the Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Bondsman off Bond and Paula Majorie Edwards (45 of Henagar) was charged with Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

On Tuesday, October the 3rd, a search warrant was obtained to check the vehicle of Shane Thomas Wright Jr., (32 Of Valley Head), who had previously been placed in the DeKalb County Detention Center.  A DeKalb County Deputy and a K-9 had a positive alert on the vehicle finding synthetic marijuana.  Wright was charged with Disorderly Conduct, Resisting Arrest, Harassment, Public Intoxication, the Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance and also the Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. 

DeKalb County Sheriff Nick Welden said that “Any opioid use is risky, but Fentanyl is a whole new level of risk.  Even in the smallest of doses, fentanyl can be deadly.  Other drugs you may be addicted to could be laced with deadly levels of fentanyl and you would never know it, until it was too late.  Opioid addiction is a disease that does not discriminate – but affects people from all economic classes and all walks of life.”

We’ll have additional information on this story as it becomes available.