Taney County Sheriff's Office Reports Fentanyl Trafficking Arrest

Two Lakes Region Law Enforcement agencies team up for an arrest of a person suspected of drug trafficking.

According to the release from the Taney County Sheriff's Department, detectives with the department and the Branson Police Department arrested Eric Combs of St. Louis during a drug trafficking investigation on September 1. 

According to investigators, Combs was found in possession of approximately one ounce of fentanyl powder at the time of his arrest. Authorities state that Combs has a history of drug-related offenses and is currently on supervised probation. Following the investigation, Combs was formally charged with Trafficking Drugs in the First Degree, and a no-bond warrant was issued.

Under Missouri law, the statutory threshold for a charge of Trafficking Drugs in the First Degree involving fentanyl is 14 milligrams. Investigators reported that the amount allegedly possessed by Combs was approximately 2,000 times greater than the statutory trafficking threshold.

Trafficking Drugs in the First Degree is classified as a Class A felony in Missouri and carries a potential penalty of 10 to 30 years in prison, or life imprisonment, upon conviction.

Combs is being held in the Taney County Jail.