Jan. 11—A New York City man who believed he was meeting someone to exchange about a pound of fentanyl Wednesday evening in Hempfield instead found himself behind bars.

Investigators said they found the drugs hidden in a toy school bus inside the SUV being driven by Adrian Wright, 38, of Queens.

Wright was denied bail on multiple drug charges.

“That’s going to put a nice little dent in the fentanyl being distributed in Southwestern Pennsylvania and, specifically, Westmoreland County,” said Trooper Steve Limani. “That’s a big win for law enforcement.”

Police working an undercover operation were in contact with Wright around 6:15 p.m. and set up a meeting location just off the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s New Stanton interchange. During the exchange, police said Wright allowed them to search the SUV where they found the drugs, according to court papers.

Limani said prior to Wednesday’s bust, police had made multiple controlled buys from Wright. Authorities believe he had been supplying multiple states with illicit substances. The drugs seized Wednesday are valued at $200,000.

“We put an order in and he delivered,” Limani said.

Troopers were helped by Westmoreland County detectives and sheriff’s deputies.

Wright was being held at the Westmoreland County Prison. A Jan. 24 preliminary hearing is set. He didn’t have an attorney listed in online court records.

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid more powerful than heroin, has been contributing to an explosion of drug overdose deaths in the region for the past few years. Fentanyl previously had been mixed with heroin and sold in stamp bags, but that has evolved into doses strictly of fentanyl cut with another powdery substance, such as creatine, authorities said.

Fentanyl was developed as a painkiller and anesthetic for pharmaceutical uses, but the drug can be produced illicitly in overseas laboratories and brought into the country. It can be mixed with other drugs, such as heroin and cocaine, and some dealers are pressing fentanyl into pills designed to look like legitimate prescription medication.

State police locally have made significant arrests in recent years involving fentanyl:

—2 pounds of fentanyl was found concealed in the front bumper of a minivan traveling on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Mt. Pleasant Township in July 2023. One person was arrested.

—3 pounds, 6 ounces of the drug was confiscated in after being found hidden in a vehicle traveling on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Mt. Pleasant Township in July 2019. Two people were arrested.

Renatta Signorini is a TribLive reporter covering breaking news, crime, courts and Jeannette. She has been working at the Trib since 2011. She can be reached at 724-837-5374 or rsignorini@triblive.com.