From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
ALABASTER — A Trussville veterinarian who lives in Alabaster was arrested as part of a drug bust involving a package of fentanyl by multiple law enforcement agencies Monday, according to a post by the Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force on social media.
Wallace worked part time at Trussville Animal Hospital, according to owner Dr. Kelly Baumann who opened the clinic in 1987.
“We’re just shocked that this has happened,” Baumann said.
Baumann said she had been contacted by the Alabama State Veterinarian Board of Examiners which is the agency that controls drugs and the records of their use. She said her staff was cooperating and helping investigators in any way possible.
“We are completely in the dark as to what’s going on,” Baumann said. “We didn’t even have that drug in the clinic. We’ve done a complete inventory here and nothing is missing.”
On Monday, Jan. 22, 2018, narcotics investigators with the Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force assisted narcotics investigators and SWAT operators with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), investigators from the office of Homeland Security, as well as investigators with the United States Postal Inspector on the seizure of fentanyl in Pelham and Alabaster.
Law enforcement officers in the state of New York contacted ALEA investigators to notify them of a package of fentanyl intercepted at JFK Airport, intended for delivery in Shelby County. ALEA, Postal Inspectors, HIS investigators, and narcotics investigators with the Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force identified the intended recipients of the package and conducted a search of the intended addresses for the fentanyl.
During the investigation it was discovered that 46-year old David Wallace, of Alabaster, who is a veterinarian at Trussville Animal Hospital, purchased the fentanyl from the dark web using bitcoins. Also arrested in the operation was 33-year-old Dana Marie Leslie, of Pelham.
Wallace and Leslie were each charged with Conspiracy to Commit a Controlled Substance Crime. Each remain in the Shelby County Jail with no bond.
Lt. Clay Hammac, Commander of the Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force stated, “This is an excellent illustration of multiple agencies working together to safeguard our communities from this deadly drug.” Lt. Paul Hayes, Commander of the ALEA Narcotics Task Force stated, “The key to successful narcotics operations such as this is communication and intelligence sharing. We are counting on our community to stand with us in this fight against drug abuse and addiction.”
During the operation approximately 18 grams of Fentanyl were seized. Hammac states, “It takes less than 2 mg of fentanyl to deliver a fatal dose; that equates to nearly 36,000 fatal doses of fentanyl taken off the streets. We must continue to be diligent and aggressive in our fight against drug trafficking and distribution.”