A Warren County man remains behind bars this weekend after Sheriff Martin Pace said an undercover operation led to his  arrest for the sale of fentanyl.

“This is the result of an investigation that lasted about six weeks,” Pace said. “On three separate occasions, we made undercover purchases and the amount purchased, cumulatively, was enough fentanyl to kill 2,000 people in overdoses.”

Pace said the investigation led to the arrest of 56-year-old Mose Benard on Feb. 5, at his home in the 100 block of Marguerite Drive in south Warren County.

Pace said the investigation, which utilized undercover work and surveillance, was led by Warren County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Jeff Merritt. The arrest, Pace said, included deputies from the uniformed division, as well as undercover officers, and was assisted by the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.

“This is an incredibly dangerous drug,” Pace said.

Pace said Benard was charged with three counts of sale of fentanyl and has already undergone his initial appearance in Warren County Justice Court, where bail was set at $100,000.