Deputies: Upstate woman had enough fentanyl to kill 700K people

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office said more than a kilogram of fentanyl was found during a multi-agency drug bust.

On Aug. 24, deputies stopped 25-year-old Katelin Lee Abernathy, who was driving on Candlenut Lane. Abernathy had been under surveillance and during the traffic stop, a K-9 alerted on her vehicle.

Deputies said they uncovered 941 grams of fentanyl, 20 grams of meth, a Glock pistol, and an SKS rifle in her car. They also executed a search warrant at a storage unit used by Abernathy and reportedly found 531 more grams of fentanyl, 3 handguns and 4 long guns.

Abernathy is charged with trafficking fentanyl, trafficking meth, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.

She is being held without bond at the Spartanburg County Detention Center.

The Spartanburg County ICE Team, Homeland Security Investigations, the State Law Enforcement Division, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and the Union County Sheriff’s Office all assisted in the investigation.

The Drug Enforcement Administration estimates one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill half a million people. Deputies seized nearly a kilogram and a half of fentanyl during the investigation.

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