Authorities Seize Firearms, Nearly 50,000 Deadly Doses Of Fentanyl In Chester County

Miles Ruder,

CHESTER COUNTY, S.C. – The Chester County Sheriff’s Office made one arrest and seized nearly 50,000 deadly doses of fentanyl Friday morning.

“Fentanyl continues to be a plague on our society, and it is causing overdoses to happen in our County almost daily,” Chester County Sheriff Max Dorsey said in a statement. “Considering that 2 milligrams of Fentanyl equates to a potential deadly dose, the amount of fentanyl seized during this search warrant today is estimated to be the equivalent of nearly 50,000 deadly doses.”

Officers executed a search warrant at a home on Church Street around 6 a.m. Friday morning. 

At the home, deputies arrested Ernest Jemaar Elder of Great Falls. Elder was the subject of a long term investigation by the sheriff’s office, according to a news release.

“The efforts of Law Enforcement seizing such a significant quantity of fentanyl is remarkable, as it could have been a fatal dose for every citizen of Chester County.”

Officers found Elder to be in the possession of the following:

  • Approximately 99.1 Grams of a substance believed to be Fentanyl
  • Approximately 46 Grams of a substance believed to be Methamphetamine
  • Approximately 34.6 Grams of a substance believed to be Cocaine
  • Approximately 5 Grams of a substance believed to be Crack Cocaine
  • Approximately 17.8 Grams of a substance believed to be Marijuana

Law enforcement obtained criminal charges against Elder for the following:

  • Distribution of Methamphetamine (3rd or subsequent offense)
  • Distribution of Fentanyl
  • Two Counts of Trafficking Fentanyl, 4 grams or more (2nd offense)
  • Trafficking Fentanyl, 14-28 grams or more

Warrants are also be sought for the following:

  • Trafficking Fentanyl / 28 Grams or More
  • Trafficking Methamphetamine / 28-100 Grams (3rd or Subsequent Offense)
  • Trafficking Cocaine / 28-100 Grams (3rd or Subsequent Offense)
  • Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine (3rd or Subsequent Offense)
  • Possession of Marijuana
  • Two Counts of Possession of a Weapon During the Commission of a Violent Felony