Bluffton man accused of trafficking fentanyl faces 22 charges after drug bust
Alexander Perez, 35, of Bluffton was arrested on Nov. 9 and charged with 22 separate charges including trafficking 28 or more grams of fentanyl, possession of other control substances and manufacturing with intent to distribute. Together, the 22 charges puts Perez’s bond at $219,000.
Perez was arrested in a business parking lot near his home in Sawmill Forest.
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office received an anonymous complaint about Perez and launched a months-long investigation into the sale and distribution of illegal substances, said Maj. Angela Viens, spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Department.
On the same day as his arrest, Perez’s home was searched. Several controlled substances and counterfeit pills were seized. Five of the 22 charges Perez faces came from the seized items in his home.
A legally possessed weapon was also seized from Perez’s car, but at this time there are no charges for the weapon, Viens said.
“[Perez] has been identified as a large scale dealer of illegal prescription medication or counterfeit pills in our area,” Viens said.
The exact scale of fentanyl distribution is hard to determine because Perez was selling multiple substances and counterfeit substances. Some pills seized contained fentanyl and others contained another synthetic substance. All items seized will be analyzed by the forensic services, Viens said.
The 28 or more grams given in the charge comes from the total weight of the pills seized.
Perez has a history of traffic offenses and one manufacturing marijuana charge from 2010, which wasn’t prosecuted. Additionally, he had one drug possession charge from 2020, which wasn’t also wasn’t prosecuted.
Local, state and federal Law enforcement’s has made a priority on getting fentanyl off the streets. The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office has found the drug in 113 different analyses this year and its often mixed with other illegal substances including heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and in counterfeit pill form, Viens said.
This story was originally published November 17, 2023 at 11:36 AM.
