Pair Allegedly Caught with Fentanyl, Drug Paraphernalia Outside Courthouse
ROSEVILLE — Two people were recently arrested after allegedly being caught with drugs in their vehicle outside of a local courthouse, according to a press release by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.
On March 3rd, bailiffs at the courthouse received a report from a concerned party regarding two suspicious individuals in a vehicle parked outside the building. Upon receiving the report, the bailiffs immediately responded to the vehicle and called patrol deputies for further assistance.
The patrol deputies arrived on the scene and spoke with the occupants of the vehicle. During the contact, the deputies reportedly discovered that the driver, identified as 32-year-old Joseph Duran of Roseville, was in possession of two plastic baggies containing suspected fentanyl.
The deputies then conducted a search of the vehicle and discovered a toiletry bag containing additional suspected fentanyl and related paraphernalia, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Both Duran and his passenger, identified as 25-year-old Jenna Frank of Rocklin, were arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia. Authorities have not disclosed any information about why Duran and Frank were at the courthouse.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is commonly used as a pain medication. It also carries a high risk of dependency and abuse, and has been linked to numerous overdose deaths in recent years. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine.
Per the NIDA’s data on drug overdose death rates, “Drug overdose deaths involving prescription opioids rose from 3,442 in 1999 to 17,029 in 2017. From 2017 to 2019, the number of deaths declined to 14,139. This was followed by a slight increase in 2020, with 16,416 reported deaths.”
The NIDA goes on to say that “[in] 2021, the number of reported deaths involving prescription opioids totaled 16,706.”
Prescription opioids in general have become an issue of great concern. In October 2017, then-President Donald Trump formally declared opioid abuse in the United States a public health emergency.
