Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
COVINGTON, La. (WGNO) — A man was arrested after a traffic stop led to a fentanyl bust in Covington on Thursday, April 18.
The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office reported its narcotics division received information about a man who was “suspected to be dealing in the Covington area.”
On Thursday, STPSO officials said deputies pulled over the man, identified by the STPSO as 24-year-old Derrick McDowell, near Joseph Road and Highway 36 for a traffic stop.
During the stop, deputies said McDowell was allegedly in possession of about 273 counterfeit pressed pills “suspected to contain fentanyl.”
According to the STPSO, “The pills were packaged for distribution, and McDowell was also found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia indicative of narcotics distribution.”
Following the traffic stop, deputies then searched McDowell’s home in the 200 block of Vintage Drive.
During the search, STPSO detectives said they recovered about 507 counterfeit pressed pills suspected to contain fentanyl, 23 dosage units of Vyvanse, about 2.8 grams of marijuana and “additional drug paraphernalia indicative of narcotics distribution.”
According to the STPSO, about 492 of the suspected fentanyl pills were found in a WD-40 can.
McDowell was arrested and faces the following charges:
- Two counts of possession with the intent to distribute Schedule II CDS (fentanyl)
- Possession of Schedule II CDS (Vyvanse)
- Two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia
- Failure to register vehicle
- Failure to stop/yield
STPSO officials said McDowell was also issued a summons for possession of marijuana.
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