WD-40 can helped hide hundreds of fentanyl pills: sheriff

A Covington-area man faces a litany of charges and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office says it confiscated approximately 780 fentanyl pills in a drug arrest.

According to the sheriff's office, deputies pulled over 24-year-old Derrick McDowell after receiving a tip that he was dealing marijuana in and around Covington.

Deputies say during the stop, they discovered more than 270 counterfeit pills, packaged for distribution, that they believe to be fentanyl.

Based on that, authorities were able to get a warrant to search McDowell's home.

"Detectives discovered approximately 507 more counterfeit pressed pills suspected to contain fentanyl, approximately 23 dosage units of Vyvanse, approximately 2.8 grams of marijuana and more additional drug paraphernalia indicative of narcotics distribution during that search," the sheriff's office said.

According to investigators, nearly 500 of the pills were concealed in a can of WD-40 outfitted with a hidden compartment.

"Fentanyl is a very dangerous drug, and it is no secret that it is in our community," said Sheriff Randy Smith. "Our Narcotics detectives are dedicated to identifying and arrests those individuals who are selling it in our community."