New Brighton man accused of distributing deadly tranquilizer carfentanil

Natasha Lindstrom
Tuesday, March 21, 2017 6:24 p.m. | Tuesday, March 21, 2017 6:24 p.m.

In this photo released by the US Drug Enforcement Agency, DEA, and taken on Oct. 21, 2016, a sample of carfentanil is being analyzed at the DEA’s Special Testing and Research Laboratory in Sterling, Va. China is adding the deadly elephant tranquilizer carfentanil and three related synthetic opioids to its list of controlled substances effective March 1, China's National Narcotics Control Commission said Thursday. (Russell Baer/US Drug Enforcement Administration via AP)

A Beaver County man was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges he distributed an elephant-tranquilizer drug that killed one person and seriously injured another, acting U.S. Attorney Soo C. Song said Tuesday.

Reginald Davis, 29, of New Brighton is accused of distributing carfentanil that caused serious injury and death, as well as possessing with the intent to distribute and distributing additional quantities of carfentanil, according to the indictment.

If convicted, Davis could face life in prison and a $1 million fine.

Carfentanil is a sedative used on elephants and is considered 100 times more powerful than fentanyl and 10,000 times stronger than morphine. The drug can be mixed with heroin to stretch supplies of that drug or to make the heroin stronger, or it can be used as a heroin substitute.

Beaver County officials said carfentanil caused two overdose deaths in recent months, one in Beaver Falls in late November and another in New Brighton in mid-December.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and New Brighton Area police investigated the case that led to the indictment against Davis.

Natasha Lindstrom is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 412-380-8514 or nlindstrom@tribweb.com.

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