A Winthrop man has been charged with possession of and intent to deliver narcotic drugs after an Oct. 11 raid on his home by the North Central Washington Narcotics Task Force.
Task force members — including representatives from the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office, Winthrop Marshal’s Office and U.S. Border Patrol — took Mark Purrington, 34, into custody after executing a search warrant at his home at 582 W. Chewuch Road, about 6 miles north of Winthrop.
The warrant was the result of a two-month investigation, according to a task force press release.
Seized during the raid were counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl; methamphetamine; and heroin, all with a combined street value of about $7,000, the task force said, as well as $3,950 in cash.
Purrington was booked in the Okanogan County Jail on three counts of delivery of a controlled substance, and three counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. Bail was set at $50,000 in Okanogan County Superior Court. Purrington was released on Oct. 15 after posting bail.
According to the task force press release, “the seized fentanyl pills are a round blue pill with ‘30M’ imprinted on them. These pills are intended to resemble prescription oxycodone hydrochloride 30 mg. This pill form is how fentanyl is being distributed in Okanogan County and nationwide.”
The North Central Washington Narcotics Task Force is a federally funded, multi-jurisdictional unit with member representatives from local, county, state and federal agencies and governments throughout the county, according to the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office website. It investigates major drug dealers in Okanogan and Ferry Counties. It also works border cases involving narcotics smuggling, human trafficking, and money laundering.
Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid that, together with other drugs, can be used for anesthesia and a variety of vital medical treatments, but is also widely used as recreational drug that may be mixed with other substances for street sale. It is commonly used to create counterfeit pills disguised as other drugs.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 67% of the drug overdose deaths and poisonings in the United States in the 12-month period ending in January 2022 involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Some of these deaths were attributed to fentanyl mixed with other illicit drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin, with many users unaware they were actually taking fentanyl. Only 2 milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially lethal dose.
