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Fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and up to 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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A Perry County man was sentenced to 20 years behind bars for distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl and possessing firearms as a felon.

Daniel Ranger, 33, pleaded guilty, admitting responsibility for more than 900 grams of methamphetamine, more than 220 grams of heroin and fentanyl, and nearly 1,500 grams of marijuana, according to a news release from U.S. District Attorney Michael Dunavant’s office.

Ranger’s arrest and sentencing came as part of a multi-agency investigation dating to February 2017. It’s the latest sentencing in a case involving more than eight defendants allegedly conspiring to distribute methamphetamine.

Starting with a traffic stop

Lawrenceburg Police Department officers stopped Ranger while he was driving on Feb. 28, 2017. They recovered $10,241 in cash, 5.5 grams of methamphetamine, a handgun, a ballistics vest and three cell phones from his vehicle.

These items represent few of the many pieces of evidence law enforcement officers from various jurisdictions would collect from Ranger in the coming months.

He was stopped again while driving on a suspended license on Oct. 7, 2017, by Perry County Sheriff’s deputies, according to the release. The deputies recovered more than $98,000 in cash from Ranger’s vehicle, as well as a drug ledger and almost 90 tablets of medication used to treat erectile dysfunction. They recovered an additional 2.4 grams of methamphetamine after removing Ranger from their patrol vehicle.

Later that month, Ranger was seen leaving the scene of a car crash in Lewis County. Investigating officers recovered a cooler near the scene of the wreck, containing more than 220 grams of methamphetamine, 20.15 grams of heroin and fentanyl, some cocaine and “numerous pills,” according to the release. Officers recovered a drug ledger, $20,000 in cash and almost 200 grams of marijuana from the scene.

Search warrant uncovers more drugs

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Investigators executed a search warrant on Ranger’s Lobelville home on Oct. 24, the same day of the crash. Inside, they found one and a half kilograms of marijuana, 0.78 kilograms of methamphetamine and 260 grams of heroin.

Law enforcement officials returned to the residence with a second warrant on Oct. 28, recovering multiple sample packs of pills and digital scales. They also found magazines and rounds for use with various firearms.

Ranger’s 20-year sentence will be followed by five years of supervised release.

Law enforcement agencies from throughout West Tennessee investigated this case in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Reach Cassandra Stephenson at ckstephens@jacksonsun.com or at (731) 694-7261. Follow Cassandra on Twitter at @CStephenson731.

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