Authorities say they found thousands of doses of fentanyl while searching an Athens home.
The Northeast Georgia Regional Drug Task Force executed a search warrant in the 200 block of Carriage Court. During the search, police seized almost seven ounces of fentanyl – representing roughly 2000 doses of the drug. Officers also seized quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine.
The investigation and subsequent search led to the arrest of 30-year-old Cartavious Sanders of Athens. Police charged him with trafficking fentanyl, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and possession of a Schedule II controlled substance with intent to distribute.
Officers also arrested Terinesha Wise, 27, of Athens and charged her with possession of a Schedule II controlled substance with intent to distribute and possession of methamphetamine.
The estimated street value of the seized fentanyl is $30,000.
“This seizure disrupted the flow of a dangerous amount of fentanyl into our community and likely saved several lives,” says Athens-Clarke County Police Lt. Shaun Barnett.
Fentanyl is several times more potent than heroin, and even small doses can be deadly. Fentanyl-related overdose deaths have spiked since the start of the pandemic, rising more than 106% between May 2020 and April 2021. When comparing the years between 2019 and 2021 in Georgia, all drug overdose deaths increased by 56%, but fentanyl-involved overdose deaths increased by 218%.
