Updated 11:50 a.m. April 25
Last week’s seizure of 2.5 pounds of illegal fentanyl from a Folly Road apartment is the largest seizure of synthetic heroin in the history of the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO). And, it kind of came as a surprise as authorities initially were trying to arrest a man on outstanding warrants.
During a press conference this week, Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano said the amount of fentanyl seized was enough to provide a lethal dose to 570,000 people — more than the populations of Charleston and Colleton counties combined. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, just 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be enough to cause a fatal overdose.
“Our country is in the midst of a public health crisis involving opioid addiction. That is not new to folks,” Graziano said at a Monday morning press conference. “This operation … is a clear sign that we are clearly not immune to this.
“We must take every opportunity to spread the word and prevent fentanyl overdose death,” she added. “What you see in these bags is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.”
Get help if you need it
Graziano continued to highlight the importance of seeking help for yourself or loved ones who may be struggling with opioid addiction.
“It’s so important that we address this opioid epidemic aggressively in this community,” said Chanda Funcell, director of the Charleston Center. “Charleston County is significantly impacted by the opioid epidemic. Overdoses have increased 25% from the previous year and are on target for increasing that at an even higher rate in the year coming.”
Funcell said through seizure efforts, harm reduction efforts, increasing awareness and boosting the accessibility of Narcan and fentanyl test strips, the Charleston Center and its partners can help reduce the negative impact of opioids on the community.
Man jumped from balcony, eluded helicopter and police dogs
Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the apartment complex at 35 Folly Road Blvd. on April 19 to serve a bench warrant for the arrest of Tyrell Javon Sistrunk, 27, for his failure to appear in court for a 2019 case involving charges of distributing cocaine base, unlawful carry of a weapon, child endangerment and assault of an arresting officer. But when they arrived at about 11 a.m., Sistrunk reportedly jumped from a fourth-story balcony to elude capture.
Law enforcement, including K-9 units, a CCSO helicopter and officers with the Charleston Police Department (CPD), then surveyed the area for more than an hour. They locked down the nearby Porter-Gaud school, landing the helicopter in a nearby soccer field. But they did not locate Sistrunk.
According to a spokesman from Porter-Gaud, Sistrunk was on Albemarle Road running toward campus, and it was unknown if he was armed. School administration immediately notified faculty, staff and students of a lockdown of the exterior gates and buildings on campus.
Following a search, CCSO and CPD deemed the campus safe and issued the all-clear to resume normal school operations around 12:15 p.m. The suspect was still at large, but not believed to be in or near campus. Out of an abundance of caution, law enforcement continued to have an increased presence on campus.
“As a school, we practice lockdown drills twice a year. Our response reflected what we have practiced in our biannual drills of our emergency protocol, procedures, and communications,” said Mike Feinberg, Porter-Gaud director of safety and security. “In addition, we continually look at ways to improve campus security. We appreciate the professionalism and assistance of our faculty and staff, and we are grateful for our partnerships with the CCSO and CPD.”
Hours later, Sistrunk later returned to the apartment. Police again chased him. They captured him about 6:45 p.m. When he was arrested, he was carrying $7,700 cash, which was also seized, police said.
In Sistrunk’s apartment, police said they found and seized:
- 1,143 grams of fentanyl ($114,300);
- 1,249 grams of marijuana ($12,499);
- 682 Xanax pills ($34,640);
- An AK-47-style rifle;
- A 9mm pistol;
- A 5.7x28mm pistol; and
- Drug-manufacturing equipment, including a pill press.
Sistrunk faces charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, trafficking Schedule IV drugs and three counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
Team effort
Graziano praised her team and agencies that helped with the bust.
“I want to recognize the outstanding work of the men and women of the CCSO Warrants Division, who, through their dedication and service, were responsible for the actions that led to this particular seizure,” Graziano said.
Graziano also recognized members of the Metro Narcotics Task Force, whose members were not identified by name for security reasons. She also publicly thanked officers with the Charleston Police Department for their assistance in the investigation that followed the seizure.
“It was a collaborative effort that helped get this seizure secured.”
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