Wauwatosa Police Bust Suspected Heroin, Fentanyl Dealer

WAUWATOSA, WI — A man suspected of dealing heroin and fentanyl — a drug 100 times more potent than heroin and linked to many new overdose cases across the U.S. — was arrested after Wauwatosa police caught him trying to leave Mayfair Mall in a stolen car.

Amari Hampton, 21, Milwaukee, has been arrested and charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled a substance, use of a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm against a court order and operating a motor vehicle without the owner's consent.

On May 5, a Wauwatosa police officer was patrolling the north Macy's parking lot at Mayfair Mall when he noticed a white Dodge Caravan that had been reported stolen by the Milwaukee Police Department.

The van was determined to be a 2016 Dodge Caravan that was reported stolen on April 22, 2017, from the 700 block of W. Ring Street, Milwaukee.

According to Hampton's criminal complaint, the officer was able to gain entry into the car, disable it by removing fuses under the hood, and then conducted a search of the van's interior. Officers hid until the driver, Amari S. Hampton got behind the wheel. As Hampton tried starting the van, officers converged on the van's location.

Police say that after a brief struggle, Hampton was taken into custody. A second search of the stolen van was conducted, which resulted in the location of a new item - a white cloth bag with a cinched top that had not been there before.

According to the criminal complaint, a search revealed the following was located inside the bag:

• 19.7 grams of fentanyl, which was wrapped in a clear plastic sandwich bag, and was found in a white Gucci brand cloth bag sitting behind the front passenger seat where the second row of seats would be located. An additional 9.3 grams of Fentanyl was wrapped in a clear plastic sandwich bag, and was found inside the white cloth bag.
• 23.8 grams of heroin, which was wrapped in a clear plastic sandwich bag, and was found inside the white cloth bag.
• 2.5 grams of marijuana, which was wrapped in a clear plastic sandwich bag and was found inside the white cloth bag.

A gun that was found underneath the driver's seat was a Glock Model 42 pistol. A check of the serial number showed that it had been reported stolen by the Milwaukee Police Department on January 13, 2017, Hampton's criminal complaint stated.

Fentanyl is a highly potent synthetic opioid that is prescribed to patients suffering from extreme pain and is also used as an anesthetic during surgical procedures.

In comparison to heroin and morphine, Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times as potent.

Fentanyl is being integrated into the heroin supply. The Fentanyl that is being combined with heroin is not pharmaceutical Fentanyl but rather is being illicitly produced. This type of Fentanyl is responsible for a large growing portion of opioid related overdose deaths.

Unlike heroin, synthetic Fentanyl can be cheaply manufactured – costing $2,000 to $3,000 per kilogram as compared with heroin, costing $60,000 per kilogram.

----

image via shutterstock