Syracuse man arrested after police seize fentanyl, meth and guns

A Syracuse house on Midland Avenue yielded a stockpile of drugs and guns that State Police say included about 3.26 pounds of fentanyl, 72.8 grams of methamphetamine and two Taurus 9mm handguns. Investigators also recovered three high-capacity magazines, ammunition, narcotics packaging materials and a digital scale, a combination that pointed them toward more than a simple possession case.

State Police identified the arrested man as Mack A. Givens, 49, and said the seizure came out of a four-month narcotics investigation that ended Friday, May 1, at 1002 Midland Avenue in Syracuse. The operation was carried out with help from the Violent Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team, Syracuse Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. One of the handguns was reported stolen from Georgia.

Givens was charged with first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance for methamphetamine, two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, multiple weapons counts, two counts of criminal possession of a firearm, criminal possession of stolen property and drug paraphernalia offenses. He was arraigned and remanded to the Onondaga County Justice Center without bail.

The scale of the seizure matters because fentanyl, methamphetamine and firearms are a dangerous mix in any neighborhood. In Syracuse, where overdoses and gun violence have remained a serious public-safety concern, a case of this size suggests investigators were looking at a distribution setup rather than a small stash for personal use. State Police said the investigation remains ongoing, leaving open the possibility that more arrests or additional locations could be identified.

Midland Avenue also fits a broader pattern of narcotics enforcement in the city. On April 2, State Police announced a separate VGNET case at 1309 N. Salina St., Apt. 1, where investigators said they seized 414 grams of fentanyl and 33.7 grams of crack cocaine. Last May, another Syracuse VGNET case at 410 Carbon Street led to the seizure of a loaded Ruger .380 pistol, 50.1 grams of crack cocaine, 190.3 grams of MDMA and cash. Together, those cases show how state and local investigators have been pressing into Syracuse addresses tied to drugs, weapons and packaging materials, with the hope of interrupting a broader pipeline before more narcotics reach city streets.