CHICAGO — An Ohio man has been charged with selling heroin mixed with deadly synthetic drugs in Chicago as law enforcement continues to crack down on the delivery of fentanyl and other opiods.
A federal grand jury has indicted Clifford Reed, 27, of Cincinnati, on charges he sold heroin mixed with synthetic drugs on the South Side, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. He is the first person in the area to be charged with selling the laced heroin that is leading to an explosion in opioid addiction and deaths in Chicago and throughout the country.
Reed was arrested on Sept. 9 after he sold heroin laced with fentanyl and carfentanil to a person in Calumet Heights who was cooperating with federal agents, prosecutors said.
Fentanyl and carfentanil are synthetic opioids that are 10,000 times stronger than morphine and are generally used as tranquilizers for elephants and other large zoo mammals, prosecutors said.
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The synthetic drugs are more addictive, deadly deadly and easier to overdose on.
"Carfentanil is an insidious opioid with deadly consequences for users and first responders alike," said James M. Gibbons, special agent in charge of the Chicago office of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.
"We are committed to protecting public safety by keeping this dangerous substance out of our communities and holding those responsible for fueling this public health crisis to the fullest extent of the law," he said.
With the prevalence of laced heroin on the rise, local authorities have worked to crack down on its distribution.
U.S. Attorney Zachary Fardon joined Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson in September to announce a raid on laced heroin distributors that netted 33 arrests.
"Investigating heroin and opioid trafficking is the No. 1 narcotics enforcement priority in our office," Fardon said. "Carfentanil-laced narcotics pose an extremely serious threat to our communities, and anyone who attempts to distribute it will be held accountable."
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Authorities believe much of the laced heroin on the market was manufactured in Mexico, but prosecutors said Reed bought multiple kilograms of heroin from various sources in Chicago before lacing the drug himself so he could increase the amount of heroin he could sell.
Reed is accused of selling the laced drug to a person who was cooperating with prosecutors in a car near 93rd Street and Stony Island Avenue on Sept. 9, prosecutors said. After the audio-recorded deal, agents stopped Reed in his car and found 1 kilogram of laced heroin, prosecutors said.
Reed was due in court federal court Tuesday. If convicted, he will face a minimum of 10 years to life in prison.
