Fentanyl indictment in Dayton includes allegations of 4.4 pounds

A federal indictment in Dayton alleges two men possessed 4.4 pounds of fentanyl — enough for a million fatal overdoses, according to a government agency website.

Jose Alonso Rios, 35, and Jesus Olegario Vidal Portillo, 21, were indicted on conspiracy and possession of fentanyl. If convicted, it could mean prison sentences of 10 years to life.

The men are to be arraigned Friday after indictments Nov. 30 in U.S. District Court.

Two or three milligrams of fentanyl — which looks like 5 to 7 grains of table salt — could cause death, a dea.gov website warns. There are 500 potentially fatal doses in a gram and a criminal complaint and affidavit detailed that two stacks of more than 1,000 grams were found.

A similar bust of two kilograms of fentanyl in Columbus in October prompted Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien to say: "Four and a half pounds of fentanyl is enough to kill all the residents of the city of Columbus."

Neither the federal prosecutor handling the Dayton case nor the defendants’ attorneys returned messages seeking comment.

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Mark Gokavi