The deadliest drugs: Dealer will return to court for sentencing

Kyle Gozzard’s decision to deal carfentanil on Peterborough’s streets could have been catastrophic.

Earlier this month, Gozzard pleaded guilty to trafficking carfentanil and cocaine.

“If you realize that the lethal dose of fentanyl is approximately two micrograms in most people and the lethal dose of carfentanil is in the microgram level, then three ounces of either of these synthetic drugs could kill a staggering number of people,” said city police Deputy Chief Tim Farquharson.

Carfentanil is a synthetic opioid used by veterinarians to sedate large animals such as elephants.

“It is not for human use,” said Peterborough Public Health nurse Simone Jackson.

Carfentanil is 100 times more potent than fentanyl, she said, and 10,000 times more powerful than morphine. The opioid depressant slows down basic bodily life functions and ultimately stops breathing.

“Carfentanil can be deadly in extremely small amounts,” Jackson said.

The lethal drug has already contributed to 26 suspected opioid overdoses in Peterborough this year. Peterborough also almost doubles the provincial rate for opioid emergency calls.

Police busted Gozzard in March and seized nearly three ounces of carfentanil mixture (caffeine and dimethyl sulphone) and about one kilogram of cocaine before it hit the streets.

According to court documents, Gozzard went by the street name “Blondie.”

Police started to investigate Gozzard during the winter of 2019 after confidential informants provided information that he was selling drugs from various locations in Peterborough.

Police followed Gozzard’s movements on multiple days in March before pulling his vehicle over on March 13.

Two individually wrapped tin foil packages, amounting to 0.3 grams of fentanyl, were seized from the car.

Later in the day, police executed a warrant at Gozzard’s Romaine Street home and found the carfentinal.

City police have been diligently working on the street level dealer on up the chain and doing incredible work, Farquharson said.

“I truly believe our dedicated officers here and across the country are saving numerous lives with these arrests, and in fact are a big reason why our numbers (related to lost people who are addicted to drugs) have been contained,” he said, noting there hasn’t been an opioid overdose death since early September.

Farquharson noted many community partners are playing a role in combating the opioid epidemic.

“Saying this we cannot rest on our laurels,” he said. “There is so much work to do still.”

Gozzard returns to court Nov. 15 for sentencing submissions.