Investigators: ‘Stroke of good luck’ makes major hit to local illegal drug industry

Several police agencies made a “major hit” to the illegal drug industry when one kilo of fentanyl — enough for 10,000 doses — was seized last week, officials said.

Sgt. Brandon Lacy from the Warren County Drug Task Force called the one kilo, or 2.2 pounds of fentanyl, “very, very substantial.” He said the average dose of fentanyl is one-tenth of one gram, and there are 1,000 grams in a kilogram.

He applauded his agency, Middletown’s Police Specials Operations Team, Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI for working together to combat drugs in the region.

“We have to use all of our resources,” he said. “Middletown drugs come into Warren County and Warren County drugs go to Middletown.”

On Thursday, three people were arrested for “major drug trafficking” in the Middletown and Warren County areas, according to Middletown Police Chief Rodney Muterspaw. Besides the drugs, several guns, including some stolen, were seized, police said.

Muterspaw and Lacy said the investigation is ongoing with possibly more arrests expected in the near future.

Those arrested: Estavian Glenn, 23, of Middletown, charged with drug trafficking, a first-degree felony; Dalaquan Wright, 22, of Middletown, charged with drug trafficking, a first-degree felony; and McKinnah Sparks, 22, of Middletown, charged with permitting drug abuse, a fifth-degree felony.

Glenn and Wright, both Warren County Jail inmates, are scheduled for their preliminary hearings at 3 p.m. Thursday in Warren County Court, according to court records. Bond was set at $200,000 at their arraignments. They both were arrested in Warren County during traffic stops, Lacy said.

“A stroke of good luck,” he said. “Sometimes you need that in these big cases.”

Sparks is scheduled to appear at 1:30 p.m. July 29 for her preliminary hearing.

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