DARKE COUNTY — Authorities arrested 38-year-old Adam C. Boeckman of Celina, Ohio, on Sept. 4 after deputies seized approximately 51 grams of fentanyl during a traffic stop in Darke County.
The arrest followed a joint investigation by Darke County Sheriff’s detectives and the Grand Lake Drug Task Force.
Deputies originally stopped Boeckman for a speeding violation on Arcanum Bears Mill Road near U.S. 36.
During the stop, a drug-detecting K-9 from the Coldwater Police Department alerted deputies to narcotics inside the vehicle, leading to a search that revealed a baggie containing fentanyl.
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Research indicates that as little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be a lethal dose for one person.
According to the Darke County Sheriff’s Office, the 51 grams seized during the traffic stop had the potential to kill 25,500 people, representing nearly half of Darke County’s estimated population of 51,520.
Darke County Sheriff Whittaker recognized several regional law enforcement partners for their collaboration in the operation.
Agencies assisting in the effort included the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, the Grand Lake Drug Task Force, the Celina Police Department and the Coldwater Police Department.
Boeckman was booked into the Darke County Jail, where he remains held pending his arraignment in Darke County Common Pleas Court on a first-degree felony charge of drug possession.
If convicted, he faces three to 11 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
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