PRESCRIPTION DRUG DEALERS WARNED

Henderson County Sheriff Rick Davis and District Attorney Jeff Hunt
announced murder charges against a man they say sold a prescription
pain killer to a 19-year-old who died of a overdose, and delivered a
strong warning to other dealers.

"We are trying to send a message that the sheriff and I will continue
to prosecute drug cases to the fullest extent of the law," Hunt said.
In an unusual joint news conference, the county's top lawman and
chief prosecutor also warned those who legally take the powerful pain
medicine to guard it closely.

"We want to warn people who legally own Fentanyl to keep it under
lock and key," Hunt said. "We also want people to know if you are
selling materials and then an overdose occurs, you have the chance of
being charged with second-degree murder."

James Michael Arnold, 23, of 273 Willis Way, was arrested Monday and
charged with second-degree murder, possession with the intent to sell
or deliver a controlled substance and sale or delivery of a
controlled substance. Arnold is being held on a $114,000 bond in the
Henderson County jail. Investigators say it was Arnold who sold the
pain patch to 19-year-old Justin Kane Anderson, who died of an
overdose on July 20. Anderson's death, they say, is part of a deadly
trend in Fentanyl abuse. "We suspect as many as half a dozen or more
(fatal overdoses), but toxicology reports are not back yet so we
cannot say with certainty," said Capt. Charlie McDonald.

Hunt said a second-degree murder charge in a drug overdose is
unusual, but not unprecedented. Prosecutors got second-degree murder
convictions in Rutherford County against two dealers arising from the
sale of Methadone to users who overdosed.

A Dangerous Drug

Davis and Hunt issued a warning about the drug's danger. "In this
case it is so important that we get the word out about the hazards
associated with Fentanyl," Davis said. "We felt we had enough
evidence to proceed with the arrest." Davis said he wanted to alert
the public to the fact that Fentanyl is much more addictive than heroin.

"There is nothing wrong with the use of the patch when it is
prescribed and used correctly, but any usage in any other capacity
can be fatal," he said. Flip Fisher, a pharmacist with Whitley Drugs
in Hendersonville, said the Fentanyl patch, or brand name Duragersic,
is prescribed for severe chronic pain such as arthritis and cancer.

"This patch is for patients who have ongoing pain and are already
using narcotics," Fisher said. "This medicine gives the patient
better pain relief over time." Fisher said the flesh colored patch is
normally worn by a patient for three days. "When they take off the
patch, we tell the patient to flush it down the toilet," he said.
"Even after the patch has been used there is enough medicine left in
the patch to kill a human or animal."

Chasing the High

Davis said people who are abusing the drug are chewing the patch or
diluting the substance in the patch and injecting it intravenously.
"The high that is created by abusing the patch reaches a certain
level of euphoria that cannot be reached again," he said. "People who
abuse the patch use more to try and get the same high as the first
time they used it."

McDonald said this tragic death has brought the abuse of Fentanyl to
the forefront. "It is the intent of the Sheriff's Office to make the
public aware of what we have seen as a growing trend in the abuse of
these Fentanyl patches that are often legitimately prescribed to
patients with chronic or severe pain or in terminal cases," McDonald
said. The drug is 80 to 100 times more potent than morphine and in
its patch form it is topically absorbed into the skin in a time
released manner, he said.

"There is obviously a market for such drugs on the streets in any
town or county and it is our job to educate the public to the threat
while committing all of our resources to identify and arrest those
who prey on the weaknesses of others for their own profit," he said.

Fighting Abuse

Davis said his office detected the trend after investigators noticed
a rise in unattended deaths in which toxicology reports of the
deceased showed high levels of Fentanyl.

Investigators started working to identify those who could be
introducing the drug onto the streets, McDonald said.

"It should be noted that while some of the cases involved persons
with no legal reason to be in possession of the drug, a few cases
involving an overdose were patients prescribed the drug, but using it
in a manner where it is taken improperly," he added.

Anderson, a native of Smyrna Beach, Fla., was raised in Hilton Head,
S.C., before moving to Hendersonville. He was a 2007 graduate of East
Henderson High School and was a student at Blue Ridge Community
College. He enjoyed golf and riding motorcycles.

His mother, Susan King, said she was pleased an arrest had been made
in her son's death.

"I am still in shock," she said. "For now I am not going to say much
and let the police do their job."