A Florida man is accused of having enough fentanyl to create 500,000 “potentially fatal” doses , according to authorities.
David Gayle, 43, of Brooksville, was arrested Friday and charged with trafficking in fentanyl and methamphetamine, possession of cocaine, marijuana, oxycodone, drug paraphernalia and possession in a structure known for manufacturing drugs with a child present, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies obtained a warrant to search Gayle’s home Friday and said they discovered more than 2.2 pounds of fentanyl, the Tampa Bay Times reported. In addition to the synthetic opioid pain reliever, deputies found half an ounce of hashish and small amounts of cocaine, oxycodone and marijuana, the newspaper reported.
The fentanyl and methamphetamine found was enough to create 500,000 “potentially fatal” doses, the Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
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“Anyone who believes that illegal drug trafficking is a victimless crime does not understand the killing power in the roughly 2 pounds of drugs seized during this particular investigation," Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis said in a statement that was posted on Facebook. “We can never measure what we prevent, but it is a very good bet that this quantity of fentanyl would have resulted in a number of overdose deaths right here in Hernando County.”
The Sheriff’s Office said Gayle had outstanding warrants for two counts of the sale of heroin with 1,000 feet of a place of worship, possession of heroin with intent to sell, possession for conveyance for the sale of heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia and the unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
Gayle was being held at the Hernando County Jail, with bail set at $215,000, the Sheriff’s Office said.