Drugs seized in arrest as Placer deputies continue to find fentanyl during traffic stops

A Placer County sheriff’s deputy last week arrested a man suspected of driving under the influence and carrying methamphetamine and fentanyl for the purpose of sales.

Shortly after 10:30 p.m. on May 13, the deputy pulled over the vehicle on Bowman Road and determined the driver, later identified as 29-year-old Brett Scott, to be driving under the influence, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday in social media posts.

Scott was placed under arrest, and sheriff’s officials said the deputy found a small weight scale and several bags containing suspected drugs inside a backpack in the rear seat of the vehicle and inside a bag in the trunk.

The drugs were identified as 21 grams of suspected meth and more than 36 grams of suspected fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Scott was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and transportation of drugs for sale.

Deputies continue to find fentanyl during traffic stops throughout Placer County, sheriff’s officials said. They warned residents to stay away from street drugs and street pills; the vast majority are laced with varied amounts of fentanyl.

“Fentanyl on the black market is not regulated; criminals are adding it to illicit substances and making counterfeit narcotic tablets that appear legitimate,” sheriff’s officials said. “If you believe you are suffering from a mental health condition, please contact your doctor for a prescription – the black market will sell you a counterfeit pill that can take your life.”

This year, the Placer County Coroner’s Office has already reported 11 fentanyl-related deaths.

In Sacramento County, 25 people have reportedly died from fentanyl in the first four months of this year. Last year, 116 people died from fentanyl, either from an opioid overdose or poisoning, county officials said.

Sacramento County is hosting a virtual town hall on May 25 to provide residents more information about the dangers involved with fentanyl use. The town hall will be streamed live on YouTube.

“The overwhelming majority of fentanyl deaths are due to counterfeit prescription pills and other drugs in powder form that are laced or replaced with fentanyl,” Sacramento County officials said Thursday in a news release. “It takes a very small amount of fentanyl to be deadly.”

The county’s Department of Health Services and District Attorney’s Office are presenting next week’s virtual event, which will include general information, a time to ask questions and a demonstration of how to use naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, a nasal spray that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose.