Fentanyl-related overdoses and deaths increasing in county

The Placer County Sheriff's Office has seen an increase in Fentanyl-related overdoses and deaths in Placer County, according to public information officer Angela Musallam. In Placer County, there were three Fentanyl-related deaths in 2019, 24 in 2020 and 24 in 2021, Musallam said. The office has also seen an increase in arrests related to fentanyl sales in Placer County, Musallam said. "The Placer County Sheriff's Office takes drug-related crimes involving Fentanyl very seriously as it is considered an epidemic," Musallam said. The office has several units that investigate Fentanyl-related crimes including Special Operations and the Placer County Special Investigations Unit, according to Musallam. Placer County Sheriff's Office deputies are also trained in administering Narcan to individuals who might have overdosed on Fentanyl. "We strongly urge parents to keep an open and ongoing dialogue with their children about drugs, social media and the social circles their children are in," Musallam said. Many drug dealers are using social media to market opioids, marijuana, Fentanyl and other illicit drugs, Musallam said. Most drugs and pills sold on the street today are counterfeit and laced with some level of Fentanyl, according to Musallam. Prescription pills sold on the streets are most likely counterfeit and it only takes a few small grains of Fentanyl to kill someone, Musallam said. Roseville man arrested for drug sales, suspicion of manufacturing counterfeit drugs The Roseville Police Department released investigation results by the Roseville Crime Suppression Unit (CSU) last Thursday regarding the Jan. 20 arrest of Roseville resident Anthony Coates, 26, for drug sales and suspicion of manufacturing counterfeit drugs. On Jan. 20, Roseville Police Department officers responded to a suspicious vehicle driven by Coates that was parked in the 1800 block of Junction Boulevard, according to the department's public information officer Rob Baquera. The initial call reported a driver possibly under the influence of drugs. Upon investigation, according to Baquera, officers found a 1/4th-pound of suspected methamphetamine in Coates' possession. In Coates' car, Baquera said, officers found a concealed loaded handgun, several pounds of drug-making materials including suspected powder fentanyl, methamphetamine, binding agents, multiple pill press dies and materials used to mix and manufacture counterfeit pharmaceuticals, including Xanax, Adderall and Percocet. Roseville Crime Suppression Unit detectives said they seized a number of drugs, drug-making materials, shipping supplies and weapons from Roseville resident Anthony Coates in an investigation. Courtesy/Roseville Police Department As a follow-up investigation, Roseville Crime Suppression Unit (CSU) detectives executed a search warrant at a location associated with Coates in Roseville. According to Baquera, detectives found an AR-15 rifle, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a large pill press and more suspected drug-making materials commonly used to manufacture counterfeit pharmaceuticals. The Roseville detectives determined that Coates used the U.S. Postal Service to send packages of drugs across the country. Detectives confiscated about a 1/2-pound of suspected counterfeit Xanax, several ounces of suspected counterfeit Adderall, multiple pounds of unknown powders, several ounces of psilocybin mushrooms, multiple pounds of marijuana and containers of anabolic steroids packaged for sales, according to Baquera. Coates was booked into the South Placer Jail on Jan. 20 for numerous charges, including Driving Under the Influence (DUI), drug sales and weapons offenses. He is ineligible for bail. Roseville Crime Suppression Unit detectives said they found a large pill press in a Roseville location associated with Anthony Coates. Coates was arrested Jan. 20 for drug sales and suspicion of manufacturing counterfeit drugs. Courtesy/Roseville Police Department "Unless obtained from a pharmacy, there is no easy way to tell by looking at a Xanax bar, Percocet pill or Adderall pill to determine if it is a real pharmaceutical or a counterfeit that may contain a lethal dose of fentanyl," Baquera said.With the investigation results now being publicly released, the Roseville Police Department is emphasizing the message, "One pill can kill." Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is up to 100 times more potent than morphine, according to Baquera. A lethal dose of Fentanyl is considered to be two milligrams, the equivalent of several grains of salt. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, 42 percent of pills tested throughout the country for fentanyl contained at least two milligrams of Fentanyl. The Roseville investigation reminds the community that these counterfeit pharmaceuticals are commonly made in someone's home without regard for quality control or blending uniformity, Baquera said. "Social media has made it easier than ever to purchase these drugs, only exacerbating the problem," Baquera said. "It is important that family and friends remain vigilant for changes in behavior in loved ones, which may be an early sign that they're using drugs. Children are especially vulnerable." Resources for drug abuse can be found at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline. The Roseville Police Department encourages anyone with a drug tip to contact the department's Crimes Suppression Unit. That can be done anonymously through Roseville Crime Stoppers at 916-783-7867 or on the Roseville Police Department website at Roseville.ca.us.