METRICH seizes drugs and nearly $1,500 during traffic stop

A Cleveland man staying in the Mansfield area was arrested Tuesday on drug-related charges, police said.

METRICH Enforcement Unit and Mansfield police seized six grams of suspected crack cocaine, over 30 doses of prescription medication and $1,342 in U.S. currency during a traffic stop at the intersection of Marion

Avenue and Wood Street shortly after noon Tuesday, according to METRICH Commander Lt. Joseph D. Petrycki.

Anthony M. White, 23, of Cleveland, who was under surveillance according to Petrycki, was arrested and charged with two counts of trafficking in heroin, felonies of the third and fourth degree; trafficking in fentanyl, felonies of the third and fourth degree; possession of drugs, a felony of the fourth degree; and possession of schedule one or two prescription drugs, a felony of the third degree.

White is incarcerated at the Richland County Jail pending his initial appearance in court, according to a news release from Petrycki.

“During the investigation and after analysis of the seized evidence, the Mansfield Division of Police, Forensic Science Section notified METRICH detectives the suspected heroin was actually fentanyl," Petrycki said in a press release.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid similar to morphine but 50 to 100 times more potent, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

"Due to the fact the lab testing showed it was fentanyl, METRICH detectives made it a top priority to get him incarcerated as soon as possible. The METRICH Enforcement Unit will continue to target those individuals that sell drugs, especially fentanyl in Richland County.”

Originally published in the News Journal on March 19, 2019.