The News Room [News Release]

Sheriff Contact: John Roach: 313-213-5162
Release Date: Tuesday, June 23, 2006

Sheriff announces major fentanyl arrest

At approximately 9:00 AM on Thursday, Wayne County Sheriff's Deputies, along with DEA agents, arrested a 45-year-old Detroit man they had under surveillance this past week. At the time of his arrest, Daren Reese had just left his apartment and had in his possession a large prescription bottle with more than 80 individual packets of the heroin mix that goes by the street name of Magic.

Investigators say that Reese's routine was to deliver the drug from his home to sellers working out of the Jeffries housing project near the Lodge freeway north of downtown Detroit. Tests conducted overnight by staff at the Michigan State Police lab in Northville confirmed the presence of fentanyl.

After they arrested Reese, deputies executed a search warrant on his apartment near I-94 and Trumbull where they found additional quantities of suspected heroin, marijuana and various "cutting agents" including packets of suspected pure fentanyl. The drugs found at the home are still being tested by the MSP lab. Once inside the home, deputies also found drug packaging materials and other paraphernalia, along with three handguns, a shotgun and about $5,000 in cash.

Wayne County Sheriff Warren C. Evans said he believes Reese is the major supplier of fentanyl to Jeffries Project seller and that his officers' investigation has traced most of the fentanyl they have come across to drug sellers at or near the Jeffries projects.

Reese was arraigned on Saturday on a 10-charge warrant that included delivery/manufacture of a controlled substance, felony firearms and possession/use of body armor. Since Reese is a habitual offender, he faces life in prison if convicted. He is being held at the Wayne County Jail.

Coincidentally, one individual who sold confirmed fentanyl, to an undercover deputy also was found and arrested on Thursday. He has not yet been charged.

"This is a significant breakthrough in this investigation and one that could never have gotten this far this fast without the assistance of a lot of important partners," Evans said. He specifically credited the DEA, Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, the County Executive and his medical examiner staff and the Michigan State police lab, which, he says, "has been a huge help by getting us lab results within 24 hours."

County Executive Ficano, who has been pushing public awareness of the fentanyl problem through his public heath and medical examiner's offices, hailed the announcement of the arrest and seizure as a positive public health victory.

"We're very pleased with the progress of the investigation," said Ficano. "We've worked diligently for the past several weeks to alert the public to the health concerns of fentanyl and this advance in the investigation will serve to help protect people from this dangerous drug."

Evans said that his office has been working steadily for weeks on the fentanyl issue, since its effects became clear.

"We have worked very closely with medical examiner staff to glean whatever information we could regarding the source of this drug," He said. "That part of our investigation, along with our own undercover work, consistently led us to the Jeffries projects."

During the past month officers working undercover and with informants have on five occasions purchased packets of fentanyl-tainted drugs. In some of those cases lab tests showed no trace of heroin, meaning that the packets were nearly pure fentanyl.

As the investigation progressed, investigators were led to a unit inside the Jeffries projects where officers recovered several packets that later tested positive for fentanyl.

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