Utah man charged after police find 40 lbs. of meth, 15K fentanyl pills in residence
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A Murray man has been charged after Salt Lake City detectives found him to be in possession of about 40 pounds of methamphetamine and 15,000 fentanyl pills.
Anthony Owen Pawley was charged this week with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, charging documents from the U.S. District Court said.
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On May 9, detectives with the Salt Lake City Police Department’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team said they were conducting patrols in the SLC area when they saw a vehicle back out of a driveway on West California Ave.
The vehicle reportedly merged into the left turn lane without signaling, so they conducted a traffic stop with their K-9. The K-9 then sniffed the exterior of the vehicle and gave a positive indication of narcotics, SLCPD said.
According to charging documents, detectives searched the vehicle and found approximately five pounds of suspected methamphetamine and several hundred blue pills suspected to contain fentanyl.
The driver of the vehicle, identified by police as Pawley, was detained. He reportedly admitted the suspected methamphetamine belonged to him and that additional methamphetamine was located at his residence.
SLCPD said the detectives obtained search warrants and found approximately 40 pounds of suspected methamphetamine at his residence and approximately 15,000 fentanyl pills, along with two firearms, at his storage unit.
Police said the drugs were field-tested and confirmed to contain methamphetamine and fentanyl.
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