Petaluma police nab elderly felon suspected of selling fentanyl out of his home

Police announced the arrest of a 69-year-old Petaluma man suspected of selling fentanyl out of his residence on the 100 block of West Street.

Richard Crandall – described as a “wanted felon” who was on probation – was arrested Feb. 28 at around 8:35 p.m. following “a lengthy investigation into potential narcotic sales at his residence,” police said in a release.

Investigators with the Petaluma Police Department’s Community Impact Response Team first entered Crandall’s residence on Feb. 24 while conducting a probation compliance check. Although Crandall wasn’t there at the time, police say they found drug paraphernalia, ammunition and a three-ounce bag of fentanyl at the residence.

Police returned to the residence four days later after learning Crandall was back. They detained him for the previously discovered items as well as unspecified “additional evidence of narcotic sales.” Crandall was arrested and taken to the Sonoma County jail.

According to Petaluma police, “The Community Impact Response Team is specifically designed for responding to ongoing crimes and issues that impact the overall wellness of the community. Like (in) many other regions in the country, fentanyl continues to plague Petaluma and its neighboring jurisdictions by taking lives and hospitalizing countless others.”

Don Frances is editor of the Petaluma Argus-Courier. Reach him at don.frances@arguscourier.com.