‘Grey death,’ fentanyl, meth seized in arrest at local hotel

UPDATE: The Drug Task Force has identified the suspect as 35-year-old Thaddeus Johnson.

📸: Dyer County Sheriff’s Office

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE WEST TENNESSEE DRUG TASK FORCE:

Agents with the 29th District out of Dyersburg along with Investigators from Dyer County Sheriff’s Office were conducting surveillance on a hotel at approximately 11:00 p.m. on 4/25/24 when they observed a male suspect enter a room briefly and then to loiter around in the parking lot.

They observed the suspect to appear to notice the surveillance team and then place items near the tire of a parked vehicle and flee the area.

The team retrieved the items that were identified as 108 grams (nearly 1/4 pound) of methamphetamine, 8 grams (just over 1/4 ounce) of fentanyl and 3 grams of the drug known as “grey death”.

Agents continued their surveillance and observed the suspect return in a different vehicle a short time later and attempt to retrieve the narcotics. Agents were able to arrest the suspect without incident. Agents also seized $2,636.00 in drug proceeds and a vehicle.

Task Force Director Johnie Carter said, “Grey death is a drug that began showing up in the U.S. around 2017 and is usually a mixture of different drugs to include opioids, synthetic drugs including U47700 along with stimulants such as meth or cocaine.” He added that the drug resembles concrete and is Narcan resistant which gives it the moniker, “grey death”.

One male who was out of jail on bond for a previous drug offense was arrested on numerous drug charges. The office of the District Attorney General, 29th Judicial District, Danny Goodman, Jr. is prosecuting this case.

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