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Omaha police are dealing with the largest drug bust of its kind in the city as they investigate a drug cooking operation where an area attorney is accused of manufacturing large amounts of a potent hallucinogen.
“It’s a psychedelic drug. It’s like psychedelic mushrooms but on steroids,” said Lt. Steve Fornoff, the Commander of the Omaha Police Narcotics Unit.
Investigators said they found at least 14 pounds of a chemical hallucinogen called DMT, or Dimethyltryptamine. The dark liquid was being stored in glass canning jars. At least one jar tested positive for fentanyl and heroin. Fornoff said the chemical is especially dangerous because if you have a pre-existing mental health condition when you come off of the DMT high, that mental health condition is enhanced.
“What we believe is they’re trying to get people that are in the market for a psychedelic drug hooked on fentanyl and meth because they’ll take it thinking they want the psychedelic high and when they’re done, they’re hooked on the other drug,” said Fornoff.
Attorney Jonathan Lawler is under arrest and faces two felony drug charges. The 34-year-old is a private practice attorney with his office listed in the Blackstone area. His law licenses in Nebraska and Florida are suspended. Lawler graduated from UNO and Emory University Law School, where he was on the Dean’s List and was a standout student.
Fornoff is warning recreational drug users that the likelihood of tainted street drugs is incredibly high right now, and they are extremely volatile and dangerous. Drug dealers often make fake prescription pills that have high levels of unpredictable and inconsistent fentanyl, which is highly addictive. A single grain of it can kill a person, impeding their lung function.
“Now we’re seeing 7 out of 10 pills have a lethal dose. So the likelihood you’re going to overdose on fentanyl now is extremely high and the chances of you dying from it are equally as high,” said Fornoff.
Fornoff said the DMT being made in the home on Tucker Street can be made into a paste to vape, or it can be added to marijuana and is undetectable. It can also be evaporated and turned into crystals to combine with other powdered or crystal drugs.
Fornoff said in Nebraska and 6 surrounding states, fentanyl has taken off as the number one drug they’re finding, responsible for overdoses and that it’s prevalent. So the fact that that this crossover drug was being created to possibly enhance the fentanyl drug operation is alarming. Fornoff said the fentanyl is coming from China and Mexico and Omaha is a hub for distributing it.
“Right now, it’s so dangerous to take any kind of drug not prescribed by a doctor or given by a pharmacist,” said Fornoff.
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