On April 19th, 2023, the Henderson County Sheriff's Office, in conjunction with Special Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration, arrested Adrian Oneal Branch and Taylor Nicole Crawford for various controlled substance related crimes. Detectives had obtained federal indictments for Branch based on his involvement in a previous investigation. Branch was taken into custody without incident and found to be in possession of suspected Fentanyl. A subsequent search warrant was served at Crawford's residence where Detectives located additional suspected Fentanyl. Both Branch and Crawford were taken into custody and charged with various crimes related to the suspected Fentanyl that was located.
In total, Detectives located and seized Fentanyl, marijuana, methadone, Percocet, cocaine, $2,721.00 of United States currency, and one firearm. Branch was indicted for six counts of Possession with Intent to Sell and Deliver Fentanyl and one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Additional arrest warrants for the items located during Branch's arrest and search of Crawford's home were issued, but have not been served on Branch at this time. Branch is currently being held at the Cherokee County Detention Center under no bond.
Crawford was charged with Felony Trafficking in Opium or Heroin Lvl 3, Felony Conspiracy to Traffic Opium/Heroin, Felony Trafficking in Opium or Heroin Lvl 2, Felony PWISD Marijuana, Felony Maintain a Vehicle/Dwelling for Purpose of Sell/Deliver a Controlled Substance x2, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Felony Possession of Cocaine, Felony Possession of Schedule II Controlled Substance, Simple Possession of Schedule II Controlled Substance, Simple Possession of Schedule IV Substance, and Misdemeanor Child Abuse. Crawford is currently being held at the Henderson County Detention Center under a $1,800,000.00 secured bond.
Fentanyl is a widely available and highly addictive man-made opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, small enough to fit on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially deadly dose. Using this calculation, the amount of fentanyl seized from Branch and Crawford could have potentially been responsible for up to 66,000 deaths.
Sheriff Lowell Griffin stated, "I am proud of the hard work and dedication of our Detectives and Special Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration. These arrests and seizures will have a significant impact on the distribution of controlled substances in Henderson County and beyond. We remain committed to keeping our community safe by removing dangerous drugs and individuals from our streets."
