Port Charlotte drug bust another tally in rise of fentayl

A deadly drug is appearing more often in Southwest Florida — fentanyl. Deputies in Charlotte County arrested five people in a drug bust where the powerful opiate was found. And within the last two weeks, local law enforcement busted dozen more for possession of the illegal substance in Collier and Lee counties.

Experts say an amount of fentanyl no bigger than a grain of sand could kill someone.

Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office arrested five suspects in Port Charlotte Friday for charges related to possession of fentanyl and other drugs.

“Fentanyl is a drug that’s 100 more times more potent than morphine,” said Thomas Mouracade with Lee County Coalition for a Drug-Free Southwest Florida. “And it’s killing a great number of individuals.”

John Henry Anthony, 51, and Richard Louis Gabel, 47, were both arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance (Fentanyl) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Jennifer Lynn Jones, 34, and Daniel Allen Spoonamore, 35, were both arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance (Fentanyl), Possession of a Controlled Substance (Heroin), Possession of a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Resisting an Officer without Violence. Jones also faces a charge for Possession of ammunition or weapon by convicted felon.

Beth Nicole Patterson, 32, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance (Fentanyl), Possession of a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

The sheriff’s office had a search warrant for a home off Olean Boulevard that was part of an active investigation that began in February due to reports of two overdoses and other drug activity.

According to the CCSO press release, two suspects tried to run away from law enforcement. The sheriff’s office found methamphetamine and fentanyl at the home, drug paraphernalia, which contained residues for methamphetamine, fentanyl and heroin.

“Through our Drug Recovery Initiative, help is available free of charge to those who request it,” said Sheriff Bill Prummell in the press release. “As we continue to identify and remove drug dealers from our community, those who are addicted need to know that they can contact us for help.”

Anonymous tips about dealers or drug use in your area can be submitted online by visiting www.ccso.org or through the sheriff’s office mobile app, available on Apple and Android markets.

At the national level, the Lee County coalition just returned after speaking with Sen. Rick Scott about fentanyl in Washington D.C.

“We had the honor of meeting with Sen. Ccott, and this was one of the topics that we were discussing the absolute enormity of the problem,” Mouracade said.

While Scott was governor, he signed into law stiffer penalties for fentanyl drug dealers, including charging them with murder if their customers overdose.

The groundwork of the opioid crisis began bust like the one in Charlotte County Friday.

“These officers go into these busts,” Mouracade said. “They are risking their lives to make our world better.”