The Sedalia Police Department announced that patrol officers arrested a Sedalia man after a traffic stop Wednesday morning, Oct. 26 in the 3300 block of West Broadway Boulevard, which was the result of an ongoing investigation by the Crime Resolution Unit.
Charles B. Price-Dinkins, 36, was arrested for driving with a revoked driver's license and was suspected of having hidden contraband on his person. A search at the Pettis County Jail resulted in the seizure of a substantial amount of powder fentanyl.
Charles B. Price-Dinkins has been charged with second-degree drug trafficking and tampering with physical evidence. In a separate case filed the same day, he has been charged with second-degree drug trafficking and first-degree endangering the welfare of a child involving drugs.
SPD Detective Sgt. Aaron Berry was on the case and explained how a tiny amount of the potent drug could warrant a trafficking charge.
“It’s a very deadly toxin; even 2 milligrams can be deadly,” Berry told the Democrat on Friday. “Two milligrams is considered trafficking by the State of Missouri, the amount he had was well above that. The amount that we got was quite a bit for our area.”
The powder can prove toxic to first responders who, since 2017, have carried NARCAN as an antidote to accidental exposure.
“All of our patrol officers are equipped with it,” Berry said. “We have it for use in case of accidental exposure.”
They use the nasal spray frequently to revive overdose victims before ambulances even arrive.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It is a major contributing factor in fatal and non-fatal overdoses in the U.S.
Illicitly manufactured fentanyl, IMF, is available on the drug market in different forms, including liquid and powder. According to the CDC, powder fentanyl looks like many other drugs and is commonly mixed with drugs like heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine and is frequently made into pills that resemble other prescription opioids. The CDC warns some fentanyl has been dosed to look like candy.
“We have had zero reports of that,” Berry said. “Most of the time in Sedalia, it seems like we’re finding fentanyl to be in a small powder form or it’s going to be pressed into pills marked ‘M30.’”
The CDC warns IMF can be found in nasal sprays, eye drops, and dropped onto paper or small candies. Street names include Apache, Dance Fever, Friend, Goodfellas, Jackpot, Murder, Tango and Cash.
According to the CDC, 150 people die every day of overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
Constricted pupils, drowsiness, losing consciousness, slow, weak or no breathing, choking or gurgling sounds, clammy or discolored skin, especially the lips and fingernails, can be signs of overdose and NARCAN should be administered immediately.
