DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) — A Raleigh man accused of trying to sell over 10 pounds of fentanyl is in jail on a $3 million bond.
Patrick Allen, 29, made his first court appearance in Durham County on Friday.
According to the Durham County District Attorney’s office, Allen possessed at least 28 grams of opioids with an intent to manufacture, sell, and deliver nearly five kilograms of fentanyl.
The Durham County Sheriff’s Office said the amount of fentanyl seized is enough to kill more people than the county’s entire population.
“One kilo of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people,” Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead said. “When you consider the population of Durham County to be just over 324,000, it’s sobering to think of.”
According to a news release from Thursday, the sheriff’s office said detectives gathered information as part of the multi-jurisdictional investigation, locating a person of interest believed to be possessing narcotics. Law enforcement pulled the person’s car over for a traffic stop.
“The K-9 officer did indicate the presence of narcotics in the vehicle,” the release said. “As a result, a search was conducted.”
Inside the vehicle, investigators discovered 4.8 kilos of fentanyl, a large sum of cash, a firearm and various paraphernalia used in the packaging of narcotics.
Allen now faces charges including trafficking opium or heroin, felony conspiracy, possession of drug paraphernalia, possessing a controlled substance with the intent to manufacture, sell or deliver and a window tinting violation.
The district attorney’s office said Allen has eight prior convictions with the majority related to selling and trafficking drugs.
“I understand that Mr. Allen is innocent until proven otherwise, although I do see several other previous convictions of a similar nature,” Durham County Judge Amanda Maris said in court Friday.
Just two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal.
According to statistics from the Department of Health and Human Services, it’s estimated over 3,200 people died of an overdose last year in North Carolina, including 150 deaths in Wake County and 81 deaths in Durham County.
“The Durham County Sheriff’s Office is committed to fighting the opioid epidemic,” the news release said. “We were the first in the state of North Carolina to offer Medication Assisted Treatment for residents of the detention facility. Our investigators are working with state, local, and federal officials to stop the flow of these illegal drugs.”
The Wake County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is also assisting in the investigation.
Allen’s next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 11.
