Months of investigative work into the fentanyl-related death of a South Nashville woman has come to a close with the arrest of a Smyrna, Tennessee man. Now, the case awaits the assistance of the courts to determine what will happen next.
This month (March of 2022), Nashville Detectives took 28-year-old Almurtaza Al Zerkani of Smyrna, TN into custody. The Rutherford County man was indicted on one count of second-degree murder.
Metro Police say the investigation by Detective Chris McIsaac led to evidence that Al Zerkani sold Bolon pills that resembled oxycodone, but instead allegedly contained fentanyl and were not produced by a legitimate pharmaceutical company. As of Thursday, March 17, 2022, Al Zerkani remains jailed in lieu of a $100,000 bond that was set by a Criminal Court judge.
Dangerous fentanyl, which is responsible for an increasing number of overdose deaths, has been found combined with street drugs including methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and marijuana. As reported by the TBI, only a tiny amount of fentanyl can lead to death.
Scroll down to read about another recent arrest in a past fentanyl related death...
Growing number of fentanyl related arrest – Continued...
In a separate investigation that took several months of of police work, Nashville Metro Police made an arrest in the fentanyl-related death of Nashvillian William Young. Indicted in that case was 35-year-old Victor Scruggs, who was charged with second-degree murder.
Young was a 40-year-old self-employed contractor by trade and police report that he was found deceased at his South Nashville residence on February 5, 2021. The Medical Examiner later ruled the cause of death as acute combined drug toxicity involving fentanyl.
Tedious work by Specialized Investigations Division Detective Barry Demonbreun led to evidence that Scruggs sold Young heroin and methamphetamine that was allegedly laced with fentanyl on the same day of Young’s death.
In addition to the 2nd degree murder charge, Scruggs is facing unrelated federal and state drug and weapons charges. Scruggs remains in custody.
A group of detectives in the Metro Nashville Police Department's Specialized Investigations Division continue to work to identify the sellers/providers of fentanyl-laced substances in overdose death cases. The division then works closely the District Attorney's office on the prosecution of those individuals.
Source: Metro Nashville Police Department
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