LEXINGTON COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA: A 20-year-old man was arrested in South Carolina after police found nearly 600 fentanyl pills in his possession during a traffic stop, Lexington Sheriff's Department announced. According to an official statement, Jakob Regan Dator is accused of trafficking fentanyl weighing at least 28 grams.
According to Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon, the drugs were discovered in two plastic bags and one pill bottle. "Agents tested a sample from each of the three containers," he said. "The test results showed the substance was fentanyl."
Who is Jakob Regan Dator?
Jakob Regan Dator, from Columbia, was arrested on July 31 near Interstate 20. "Lexington County narcotics agents stopped Jakob Regan Dator, 20, Monday, on the I-20 on-ramp at Sunset Boulevard," Lexington County Sheriff Koon said. "Agents found almost 600 pills in Dator’s possession during the stop," as per the official statement.
Dator is being charged under the state's new fentanyl trafficking law, which stipulates that anyone found in possession of more than 28 grams must serve at least 25 years in prison and pay a $200,000 fine, according to Lexington County Sheriff Koon.
What does the new law say?
Gov Henry McMaster reportedly signed a new bill on August 1 that added fentanyl to the state's prohibited drugs list and made drug trafficking a criminal offense.
"Through this legislation, we provide our law enforcement and prosecutors with valuable tools to keep these drug dealers behind bars, helping to combat the unprecedented flood of fentanyl crossing the Southern border and entering our communities," he stated in a press release, as cited by The Messenger News.
Meanwhile, Jakob Regan Dator is reportedly being held in the Lexington County Detention Center. His arrest highlights how South Carolina's law enforcement agencies are employing the new legislation to tackle the fentanyl problem.
