Members of Greenwich Police Narcotics section arrested a Stamford man by warrant on April 6 for charges stemming incident in which they say he delivered Fentanyl to a patient at a medical facility on Perryridge Road who had been admitted and was intubated with a tracheal breathing tube.
Police were contacted by the facility after finding what they suspected to be Fentanyl on the patient who was found by medical staff to be in respiratory distress after ingesting suspected Fentanyl.
Investigation revealed that Eugene Wasicki, 53, had delivered Fentanyl to the patient. Staff were alerted by alarms signaling that the patient was in respiratory distress.
After being treated by medical staff the patient related that Mr. Wasicki had delivered the Fentanyl concealed in a greeting card.
According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) website, Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50-100 times stronger than morphine.
Pharmaceutical Fentanyl was developed for pain management treatment of cancer patients, applied via a patch on the skin. Because of its powerful opioid properties it is also diverted for abuse. Fentanyl is added to heroin to increase its potency or to disguised it as highly potent heroin.
Police say many users believe that they are purchasing heroin and actually don’t know that they are purchasing Fentanyl, which often results in overdose deaths.
A few common street names used to describe the drug are Apace, China Girl, China Town, China White, Dance Fever, Goodfellas, Great Bear, He-Man, Poison and Tango & Cash.
Fentanyl provides an intense, short term high, temporary feelings of euphoria, slowed respiration and reduced blood pressure, nausea, fainting, seizures and sometimes results in death.
In furtherance of the police investigation an arrest warrant for Mr. Wasicki was applied for and approved, charging him with Sale of a Controlled Substance and Reckless Endangerment 2.
Wasicki was able to post the required 10% of his $25,000 bond. He was released and is scheduled to appear in Stamford Superior Court on April 21, 2023.