EASTON, Pa. — An Allentown woman was arrested in connection with a drug investigation that led to authorities to seizing nearly a quarter pound of fentanyl, officials said Wednesday.
Karoline Doval-Cosme was charged Tuesday, June 3, in an operation by the Northampton County Drug Task Force, alongside the Pennsylvania State Police.
The operation also seized the Schedule II opioid, Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta announced in a release.
The estimated street value of the fentanyl is in excess of $25,000, authorities stated.
"If prepared for sale on the street, the quantity of fentanyl seized would have resulted in thousands of bags distributed throughout the community."Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta in a release Wednesday
If prepared for sale on the street, the quantity of fentanyl seized would have resulted in thousands of bags distributed throughout the community, the release stated.
Doval-Cosme was charged with possession with intent to deliver, criminal use of a communications facility and possession of a controlled substance.
She was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge John C. Capobianco and sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $15,000 bail.
A preliminary hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. June 15 before District Judge Vivian I. Zumas.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that can be produced in clandestine laboratories, with a strength 50 to 100 times that of morphine.
But it's significantly cheaper to produce than heroin, leading to an increased accessibility, authorities said.
Fentanyl can be lethal in doses as small as 0.25 of a milligram and is the leading cause of overdose-related deaths, the release stated.
