A federal judge sentenced Fany Madrigal-Lopez to 12 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to selling counterfeit oxycodone pills made with fentanyl. Even after she learned of one customer’s death in November 2016, she continued to sell those pills until law enforcement finally caught up with her in August 2017…
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The Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control held a hearing on October 2, 2018 to discuss the flow of illicitly produced fentanyl out of China and into the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Discussions with panelists involved what is currently being done by major departments within our government to keep fentanyl out and what more could we be doing to help end this epidemic…
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Lewis Chafin of Fayetteville, Arkansas pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of possession of a tableting or encapsulating machine with the intent to manufacture fentanyl. After receiving a tip, a search of Chafin’s home by law enforcement turned up 43 counterfeit oxycodone pills, various pharmaceutical powders – including fentanyl, oxycodone, morphine, zolpidem, and alprazolam – and a pill press…
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and their canines had a busy day in Arizona on September 18th. Officers at the Port of Nogales stopped two smuggling attempts, including one man with over a pound of fentanyl taped to his legs. At the Port of San Luis, a 16-year-old was stopped with over a quarter pound of suspected fake fentanyl pills taped to his legs…
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At a checkpoint just a few miles from the southern border, Border Patrol agents flagged a 2008 Mini Cooper for an additional inspection. In a secret compartment underneath the driver’s seat, agents found nearly 52 pounds of fentanyl powder and three pounds of fake fentanyl pills…
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This week the ABC News program 20/20 aired a story about counterfeit pills made with fentanyl. After highlighting Prince’s death from those pills, the reporters also interviewed Carrie Luther about her son Tosh Ackerman’s tragic accidental death from a piece of a Xanax made with fentanyl instead of the proper ingredients.
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Justin O’Brien Miller indicted for controlled substance homicide in Washington state. He allegedly sold counterfeit Percocet pills made with fentanyl that killed 18-year-old Garrett Arendse and 28-year-old Rebecca Doyle…
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U.S. Department of Justice announced charges against two men in Missouri for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Law enforcement found two kilograms of fentanyl powder as well as two machines capable of making pills while executing search warrants at two apartments in St. Charles associated with the defendants…
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Narcotics investigators in Oklahoma have announced a public warning about deadly counterfeit oxycodone made with fentanyl that has killed at least one Oklahoma resident.
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A California woman has been indicted for shipping fake fentanyl pills and a misbranded drug into Illinois. In total, prosecutors alleged that Melissa Scanlan shipped over 50,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills to customers all over the United States. After initially being arrested on state charges in August, Scanlan allegedly went back to Mexico to arrange for more fake fentanyl pills to be delivered to her home. She was arrested for the second time in September in relation to the Illinois indictment…
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