Trussville Veterinarian Arrested After Buying Fentanyl Online

SHELBY COUNTY, AL - Trussville veterinarian David Wallace, who lives in Alabaster, has been arrested along with 33-year-old Dana Marie Leslie of Pelham after Wallace purchased 36,000 fatal doses of fentanyl with bitcoins online.

On Monday, narcotics investigators with the Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force assisted narcotics investigators and SWAT operators with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, investigators from the office of Homeland Security, as well as investigators with the United States Postal Inspector on the seizure of fentanyl in Pelham and Alabaster.

Law enforcement officers in the state of New York contacted ALEA investigators to notify them of a package of fentanyl intercepted at JFK Airport, intended for delivery in Shelby County, Alabama. ALEA, Postal Inspectors, HIS investigators, and narcotics investigators with the Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force identified the intended recipients of the package and conducted a search of the intended addresses for the fentanyl.

During the investigation it was discovered that Wallace purchased the fentanyl from the dark web using bitcoins. Wallace and Leslie were each charged with Conspiracy to Commit a Controlled Substance Crime. Each remain in the Shelby County Jail with no bond.

Lt. Clay Hammac, Commander of the Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force stated, “This is an excellent illustration of multiple agencies working together to safeguard our communities from this deadly drug.”

Lt. Paul Hayes, Commander of the ALEA Narcotics Task Force stated, “The key to successful narcotics operations such as this is communication and intelligence sharing. We are counting on our community to stand with us in this fight against drug abuse and addiction.”

During the operation approximately 18 grams of fentanyl were seized. “It takes less than 2 mg of fentanyl to deliver a fatal dose; that equates to nearly 36,000 fatal doses of fentanyl taken off the streets. We must continue to be diligent and aggressive in our fight against drug trafficking and distribution,” Hammac said.

Photos from Shelby County Jail