Local man faces multiple charges for Trafficking, Fentanyl, Cocaine & Heroin
Durham, NC (Friday, May 19, 2023) – A Durham man is in the detention center tonight ending a months-long drug investigation. Earlier today, investigators from the Durham County Sheriff’s Office Anti-Crime and Narcotics unit (SAC/Narc) went to the home of Aaron Simmons on the 3700 block of 4 Seasons Dr in Durham.
A search of the home yielded the following contraband:
115 grams Heroin
184 grams Cocaine
147 grams Fentanyl
In addition, the following was packaged for sale:
68 capsules of crack
355 bindles of Heroin & Fentanyl
Under $10,000 cash
1 long gun
1 handgun
Charged in this investigation is 50-year-old Aaron Jahmad Simmons of the above address. Simmons was booked into the Durham County Detention Center this afternoon without the benefit of bond and charged with:
Trafficking in Opium or Heroin (2 counts)
Trafficking in Cocaine
PWISD Cocaine
PWISD Marijuana
Maintain a Veh/Dwell/Place for CS
Manufacture/Sell/Deliver CS w/in 1000 ft of a school
Possession of Schedule II CS
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
This is an ongoing investigation and additional arrests are pending.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. It is a prescription drug that is also made and used illegally. The CDC reports that opioids, mainly synthetic opioids (other than methadone), are currently the main driver of drug overdose deaths. 72.9% of opioid-involved overdose deaths involve synthetic opioids.
"Two (2) milligrams of fentanyl can be a lethal dose," said Durham County Sheriff Clarence F. Birkhead. "According to DEA data, one (1) kilo of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. When you consider the population of the City of Durham is just over 285,000, it's sobering to think of."
The Sheriff's Office is committed to fighting the opioid epidemic. We were the first in the State of North Carolina to offer Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for residents of the detention facility and our investigators are working with local, state, and federal officials to stop the flow of these illegal drugs.
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