5 Arrested After Sarasota Teen Overdoses on Synthetic Drug

As a teenager recovers from an overdose of the synthetic drug known as 25i-NBOMe, five others are facing criminal charges for sale and possession of the controlled substance.

The drug 25i, as it’s known for short, is similar to LSD. It provides users with a euphoric feeling at first, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a media release, but can lead to disorientation, violent behavior and even death.

“The NBOMe compounds are substantially more potent than other hallucinogenic drugs, and extremely small amounts can cause seizures, cardiac and respiratory arrest, and death,” the agency wrote. “Synthetic drugs like these, which are sold on the Internet, have no consistent manufacturing processes and may contain drastically differing dosage amounts or a mix of several unknown adulterants.”

The five arrests came over the weekend following an overdose on 25i by a local teen.

Those arrested are: a 16-year-old Venice boy; 18-year-old Cooper Barkow, 954 Ryan Court, Venice; 18-year-old John Johnston, 6226 21st Ave. N., Sarasota; 25-year-old Richard Reese, 1303 12th St., Sarasota; and 18-year-old Kyler Blessitt, last known address in Asheville, North Carolina.

“People are playing Russian roulette when they use synthetic drugs,” said Sheriff Tom Knight in the media release. “Just like our very public push to warn citizens about the dangers of K2 years ago, I am issuing this warning because everyone needs to know these harmful drugs have made their way into our community and that they have potentially deadly effects.”

During the arrests, deputies seized 26 hits of 25i, about 60 grams of marijuana, 9.1 grams of MDMA or “molly,” 5.3 grams of hash and a small amount of butane hash oil.

The teen who sparked the investigation is recovery, Knight said. The teen’s identity has not been released.

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