Multi-State Fentanyl Importer Arrested In Maryland: Police

SALISBURY, MD — Maryland and federal law enforcement agencies have charged a Salisbury man with illegally importing fentanyl to the Eastern Shore as part of a multi-state drug trafficking operation. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is more potent than heroin and contact with a few grains of the powder can be fatal; it is blamed for an increase in overdose deaths in Maryland.

Narada Michael Walls, 37, is charged with three felony counts of manufacturing, distributing and possessing controlled dangerous substances, according to state police. He is being held at the Wicomico County Detention Center pending a bond review hearing on Dec. 18. Beginning in late fall, local, state and federal investigators targeted the alleged distribution of opioids by Walls in several counties, Baltimore City and neighboring states. Walls’ opioid distribution was primarily focused in and around Salisbury and Wicomico County, authorities say.

Drug dealers have been using fentanyl in conjunction with or in lieu of heroin because it is cheaper.

"You can get a kilogram of fentanyl for about $3,500 compared to a kilo of heroin, which is running about $60,000," Lt. Jeffrey Kloiber of Maryland State Police said on June 6 while discussing the opioid epidemic on Comcast Newsmakers. He said fentanyl was coming from China.

Investigators charge that Walls was importing and selling a large amount of opioids on a daily basis. The opioid was methoxyacetyl fentanyl, which the Drug Enforcement Administration said was being illegally imported from outside the country. The DEA estimated the fentanyl in this case is up to 15 times stronger than other versions of the opioid. Multiple sources throughout Maryland and neighboring states reportedly supplied Walls with the methoxyacetyl fentanyl that he distributed, police say.

The most recent fatal overdose count by state health officials in October shows that while prescription drug overdose deaths were down across Maryland and heroin fatalities are relatively flat in recent months, fentanyl is killing more residents than ever.

SEE ALSO:

• Heroin Overdoses Exceed 400 In Harford County: Sheriff
• Gov. Larry Hogan Declares State Of Emergency Due To Opioid Crisis
• $3M Targeted at Fighting Maryland's Heroin Epidemic
• 22 Opiate Dealers Indicted In Annapolis Raid: Police

The rate of fatal drug and alcohol overdoses in the state continues at an epidemic pace — especially for users of fentanyl and the even more lethal carfentanyl — say state officials, who urged users to get into treatment before it's too late. The Maryland Department of Health in late October released data for fatal overdoses for the second quarter of 2017, and the numbers show that opioid-related overdose deaths continue to skyrocket in the state.

From January through June of 2017, there were 1,172 overdose-related deaths in the state, including 799 fentanyl-related deaths. In the first three months of the year, by comparison, there were 550 drug and alcohol overdose-related deaths statewide, including 372 fentanyl-related deaths. During the same six-month period in 2016, 969 Marylanders died from an overdose.

On Dec. 15, law enforcement officials served five search and seizure warrants in Salisbury and Wicomico County and seized:

• 442.3 grams of a fentanyl
• 86 grams of marijuana
• $17,705 in cash
• Cutting agents used to dilute controlled dangerous substances before sale
• Hand tools used to process/dilute the substances
• Two digital scales
• Numerous rubber gloves and filtration masks
• Two electric coffee-style grinders covered with controlled dangerous substance residue
• One pint of promethazine with codeine cough syrup
• Corroborative documents
• Numerous cell phones believed to contain corroborative information
• One Samsung smart television believed to contain corroborative information
• Various items used to process and package controlled dangerous substances

The investigation included work by the Maryland State Police Heroin Investigative Unit, led by the Maryland State Police, Criminal Enforcement Division, Gang Enforcement Unit and assisted by Maryland State Police, Salisbury and Berlin Barracks; Maryland State Police, Central South Narcotics; Salisbury Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Wicomico County States Attorney’s Office and United States Attorney’s Office.

Photos of Narada Michael Walls, cash and fentanyl seized courtesy of Maryland State Police