Narcotics detectives with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office and Spanish Fork Police Department served a search warrant on a home at 1416 South Geneva Road near Orem.

Detectives have been investigating Kevin Lynn Larson, 49, who lives in the home. During their warrant search they allegedly found fentanyl pills and other drugs and paraphernalia, according to sheriff’s office spokesman Spencer Cannon.

According to Cannon, Larson has several other active drug cases pending in court.

“During that time (the past year) they developed four different cases on Larson related to drug distribution,” Cannon said. “They have found that each time they arrest Larson he bails out of jail and immediately returns to dealing drugs.  Primarily Larson has been arrested for charges related to distribution of methamphetamine.  Recently, however, they developed information that led them to believe Larson was now involved in the distribution of Fentanyl.”

Also, believing they would find fentanyl during this search, detectives and SWAT members took extra precautions to protect themselves in case of an accidental exposure to fentanyl, according to Cannon.

Larson was not home when the warrant was served, but they believe he knew detectives were there.  There was one man in the home who was living there in exchange for work, but detectives believe he was not involved in any drug distribution activities.

During the search, detectives found the following:

• 56 counterfeit Fentanyl pills (homemade to look like 30 mg Oxycodone Hydrochloride pills)
• 17 grams of methamphetamine
• 1 gram of heroin.
• Multiple items of drug paraphernalia

The Fentanyl pills that were found were designed as single dosages for each pill.  These pills are homemade using pill presses.  To make these pills, drug dealers use some kind of neutral binding agent and add fentanyl to that.  Once mixed, they put the mixture into the press to manufacture the pills.  The pill of choice they copy to manufacture these Fentanyl pills are commercially prescribed 30 mg Oxycodone Hydrochloride.  Oxycodone is a very strong opioid narcotic pain medication.

“Many of these counterfeit pills look very much like actual Oxycodone pills. One of the problems with these pills, besides the fact they are illegal, is that back room drug dealer manufacturing operations do not have the ability, nor do they take the time, to insure that the amount of fentanyl in each pill is exactly the same and is not a lethal amount,” Cannon said. “Even one of these pills with a ‘proper’ amount of fentanyl can be fatal.  But with widely varying amounts of fentanyl in them, these pills are often deadly.”

Larson will be charged with three felony counts of drug distribution for the fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin, and a misdemeanor charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.

The Kevin Larson case is not related to the Cory Jolley case from Oct. 13, according to investigating detectives.

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