Detectives arrest man after fentanyl found in car

The Picayune Police Department said detectives with its Special Operations Division stopped a Toyota Camry on Bruce Street at Highway 11 on March 30 after observing careless driving and took the driver into custody when a search turned up a felony amount of fentanyl.

Police identified the driver as Hendrick Ra’shard Leverette. Officers said Leverette consented to a search of the vehicle, and detectives recovered what they described as a felony amount of the controlled substance. He was arrested and charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and careless driving.

The Special Operations Division typically handles investigations and enforcement actions targeting drug trafficking and other serious offenses in the community, the department said. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid linked to a rise in overdose deaths nationwide, and seizures of the drug are frequently cited by law enforcement as a public safety priority.

The investigation appears to be ongoing. We will provide more information as it becomes available.