13 Union County Overdoses Linked To Large Drug Bust

UNION COUNTY, NJ — A Union man was among three to be arrested in connection with a large drug bust where enough drugs was found to kill 3.5 million – half of the state's population. The drugs found were linked to 76 suspected overdoses including 13 in Union County, authorities said.

Whydia Durham, 46, of Union; Dereemus Botts, 34, of Irvington; and Nelson Johnson, 30, of Newark were arrested after the seizure of about 15 pounds — or nearly 7 kilograms — of fentanyl and the dismantling of an opioid mill, according to a release from the State Police and the Office of Attorney General.

The mill operators were distributing their narcotics in wax folds stamped with the same brand names that have been linked the 76 suspected overdoses and the 29 fatalities in seven New Jersey counties including Union, according the release. (See Related: 29 Deaths, ODs In 7 NJ Counties Connected To Large Fentanyl Bust)

The three men were charged with the following:

• maintaining a CDS facility
• possession with intent to distribute
• possession within 1,000 feet of a school zone
• destruction of evidence
• distribution/possession of CDS paraphernalia
• unlawful possession of a handgun (3 counts)
• unlawful possession of a handgun during a CDS offense (3 counts)
• unlawful possession of a high capacity magazine (2 counts)
• CDS processing equipment

As part of the investigation, authorities executed a search warrant on Sunday and seized 59 different rubber stamps that the mill operators used to "brand" the wax folds. They also used the stamps to package narcotics prior to street-level distribution, according to the release.

Drug traffickers typically package heroin and/or fentanyl in a wax fold, which is considered one dose. A lethal dose of fentanyl is two milligrams, according to the CDC.

The drug traffickers also market their "brand" of drug by ink-stamping the outside of the wax fold with a unique image, word or phrase such as "Passion," "Thanos," "Thor," and "No Days Off," which are examples of the stamps recovered from this Newark mill.

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