Olympia man arrested Monday, accused of dealing fentanyl. Judge sets bail
A 33-year-old Olympia man accused of dealing fentanyl is being held in Thurston County jail in lieu of $3,000 bail.
The Thurston County Narcotics Task Force arrested the man Monday outside a retail store on Fourth Avenue in Olympia. They booked him into the county jail on suspicion of two counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance (fentanyl) with intent to deliver.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that’s 50-100 times stronger than morphine and often mixed with other drugs. County officials have linked the substance to a worrying trend of overdose deaths over the past several years.
On Tuesday, Thurston County Superior Court Judge Anne Egeler found probable cause for the alleged crimes and set the bail amount. In doing so, Egeler reasoned the court could not otherwise be reasonably assured the man would attend his future hearings.
Court records indicate the man has a lengthy adult criminal history that dates back to 2007. Notably, he has another open case in Thurston County Superior Court where he’s accused of possessing a stolen vehicle.
A probable cause statement describes the investigation into the man from the perspective of law enforcement.
The task force began investigating the man in December after a confidential source alleged the man was dealing fentanyl in the Thurston County area, according to the statement.
Over several weeks, the task force orchestrated “controlled buys” of fentanyl from the man. The statement says a confidential source purchased the fentanyl on behalf of detectives on two occasions.
Detectives said they witnessed the man meeting with the confidential source. They also field tested the product after each purchase. Both tests allegedly yielded positive results for fentanyl, according to the statement.
On Monday, detectives reportedly arrested the man after spotting him walking around the retail store. They allege he was actively smoking fentanyl on a sidewalk.
After a search, a detective reportedly recovered a silver metal container from the man’s coat pocket. The detective determined the container contained fentanyl through his “training and experience,” according to the statement.
Detectives also reported recovering a red, operable digital scale with white powder residue as well as a small baggie with white powder residue inside, per the statement.
The substance in the metal container allegedly field tested positive for fentanyl, according to the statement. The man was allegedly carrying 14.6 grams of fentanyl, including packaging.
Prosecutors have until 5 p.m. Thursday to charge the man. If he’s charged, court records indicate he will be arraigned on Feb. 13.
The Thurston County Narcotics Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement partnership, according to its website.
The group includes the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office and Prosecuting Attorney’s Office as well as Washington State Patrol; Washington State Department of Community Corrections; federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Homeland Security Investigations; and U.S. Marshals Service.
