Alleged drug dealer nabbed in Delaware
A Chester City man wanted on four counts of possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver was taken into custody Wednesday morning in Newark, Del., and is awaiting extradition, Police Commissioner Steven Gretsky announced Thursday.
Eliot Swain Jr., 32, was placed under arrest without incident at a Newark residence at about 6 a.m. as members of the Chester Narcotics Unit, New Castle County Police Department and F.B.I. Violent Crimes Task Force served a search warrant, according to a release.
The charges stem from a large amount of illicit substances found in a vehicle Swain was allegedly using in Chester earlier this year.
Chester Officer John Benozich and members of the Chester Narcotics Unit were conducting hidden surveillance in the 300 block of E. 23rd Street Feb. 22 after receiving an anonymous tip related to potential drug activity in the area, according to the release.
Officers identified Swain using a 2013 Ford Edge that was parked in the area and brought a police K-9 unit in to do an open-air drug sniff around the vehicle, the release says.
The K-9 officer indicated a positive hit and a search warrant was issued for the vehicle, where police recovered 973 bags of suspected fentanyl, approximately 47 grams of suspected cocaine, approximately 33 grams of suspected methamphetamine, and bulk and packaged marijuana, the release says.
Law enforcement taking Swain into custody Wednesday also seized a Glock .380 pistol, large sums of money and multiple cellular phones, according to the release. Swain was transported to the Howard Young Correctional Facility where he is awaiting extradition, the release says.
“Once again I have to thank the public for their assistance,” said Gretsky.
Eliot Swain Jr.
“It was an anonymous tip that led us to initially investigate the report of drug activity in February. We received additional tips from the public related to Swain’s whereabouts after it was announced that he was wanted for those drug violations. Another benefit in this matter is that our narcotics officers are sworn members of the F.B.I. Violent Crimes Task Force, which allows them to investigate and pursue Chester drug traffickers who think they are safe when they go beyond our city limits.”
Gretsky previously said the opioid epidemic is tearing the fabric of communities apart and that getting this sizeable amount of fentanyl off the street is “a win for all of us.”