COVINGTON, La. — St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office announced on Tuesday the seizure of approximately 780 fentanyl pills during the arrest of 24-year-old Derrick McDowell.
McDowell is accused of dealing counterfeit pills suspected of containing fentanyl in the Covington area.
According to the sheriff's office, STPSO's Narcotics Division conducted a traffic stop on McDowell in the area of Joseph Road and Highway 36, During the stop, McDowell was allegedly in possession of approximately 273 counterfeit pressed pills packaged for selling, as well as drug paraphernalia associated with of distribution.
The STPSO said the traffic stop led to a search warrant at McDowell’s residence in the 200 block of Vintage Drive, where detectives discovered approximately 507 more counterfeit pressed pills suspected of fentanyl, 23 dosage units of Vyvanse and 2.8 grams of marijuana, plus more paraphernalia indicative of distribution.
Detectives found approximately 492 of the suspected fentanyl pills inside a WD-40 can that was outfitted with a hidden compartment on the bottom.
STPSO claims McDowell admitted to regularly distributing fentanyl pills to St Tammany Parish residents.
He was issued a summons for Possession of Marijuana, and was arrested and booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center for the following charges:
- 2 counts of Possession with the Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (fentanyl)
- 1 count of Possession of Schedule II CDS (Vyvanse)
- 2 counts of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
- 1 count of Failure to Register Vehicle
- 1 count of Failure to Stop/Yield
“Fentanyl is a very dangerous drug, and it is no secret that it is in our community,” Sheriff Randy Smith said. “Our Narcotics detectives are dedicated to identifying and arresting those individuals who are selling it in our community.”
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.