ST. GEORGE — An arrest on Monday led to the recovery of a large amount of fentanyl — which the arresting officer stated is the leading cause of overdose deaths in Southern Utah. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat the nation has ever encountered.
On Monday, an officer stopped a vehicle on St. George Boulevard near 500 East. The driver, Matthew Miano, was arrested on an outstanding felony warrant, according to court records.
During the traffic stop, officers also spoke to the passenger, identified as Duane William Simpson, who was detained on an active felony warrant as well.
During a search of the suspect prior to transport, officers recovered a “large amount” of suspected fentanyl powder. In the probable cause statement, the officer wrote the drug “is extremely potent and is the leading cause of overdose deaths in Southern Utah right now.”
Officers also found a baggie containing suspected methamphetamine and 20 pills they suspect are made of fentanyl. During a search of the suspect’s wallet, officers found two Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards used for food that did not belong to the suspect, according to the report.
The suspect was booked into jail facing two first-degree felony counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, two third-degree felony counts of unlawful acquisition of a financial card and one count of possession of a controlled substance.
He also faces one count of giving false information to a peace officer, and one count of possession of paraphernalia — each a misdemeanor.
The officer requested that Simpson be held without bail based on previous crimes involving fentanyl, which the officer noted “is one of the most dangerous drugs on the street, in addition to the suspect’s criminal history that includes a prior conviction for distribution.”
Fentanyl, more potent, is everywhere
“Fentanyl is the single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever encountered,” DEA Administrator Ann Migram said in a recent press release, adding that “fentanyl is everywhere.”
Fentanyl is also becoming more potent.
In fact, more than half of all of the fentanyl pills analyzed by the DEA’s laboratory last year, now contain a potentially lethal dose — up from 40% in 2021.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 107,300 people nationwide died from drug overdoses and poisonings in the 12-month period ending in January 2022.
“And a staggering 67% of those deaths involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl,” the CDC says.
Two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially lethal dose, roughly the amount that can fit onto the eraser of a pencil. The drug is particularly dangerous for those with a low tolerance to opioids.
Moreover, fentanyl poisoning is now the leading cause of death for adults aged 18-45 in the United States, surpassing suicide, gun violence, alcohol and automobile accidents. Fentanyl-related deaths occur approximately every nine minutes in the United States, the CDC says.
In Utah, preliminary data shows a 200% increase in the number of fentanyl-related overdose deaths in 2021 compared with 2019, and those numbers continue to rise across the state.
Following the arrest Monday, Simpson remains in jail without bail.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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