Sheriff’s deputies seize Fentanyl pills
A Michigan man was charged after he allegedly possessed 176 illegal Fentanyl pills intended to be sold in Rutherford County, said Rutherford County Sheriff’s Capt. Britt Reed.
Zave Garry, 34, of Detroit was arrested by Rutherford County deputies Aug. 27 after he allegedly possessed 176 clandestinely-produced Fentanyl pills, which were pressed and stamped to resemble 30mg tablets of Roxicodone, Reed said.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration described Fentanyl as a synthetic opioid that is 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine and Roxicodone is a brand name of oxycodone.
Garry was out on bond from a similar incident in Coffee County where he was arrested with 157 of the same type tablets just two weeks earlier, the captain said. Investigators linked Garry allegedly to an intercepted shipment of approximately 1,000 of the pills intended to be sold within the community.
While counting the pills, Deputy Nikolas Madore found the pills had irregular scoring and irregular pressing. Deputies also noticed that the pills were flaking while being counted.
“These non-pharmaceutically produced pills are a true danger to the user due in part to inconsistent production methods along with the inherent dangers of Fentanyl,” Reed said.
Garry was charged with felony possession of Schedule II and Schedule VI drugs and misdemeanor unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.
He is being held on an increased bond of $150,000 since he was out on bond in Coffee County for similar charges. A hearing is set Sept. 7 in General Sessions Court.
