Mayor Up for Re-Election in Tennessee Arrested with Fake Pills and the Pill Press that Made Them

Red Boiling Springs mayor Joel Rae Coe has been arrested on drug trafficking charges after a year-long joint investigation between the Macon County Sheriff’s Department the Red Boiling Springs Police Department, the Lafayette Police Department and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Authorities found 3 bags of 10 milligram hydrocodone pills, one page of 7.5 milligram hydrocodone pills, two bags of 10 milligram oxycodone pills, 154 morphine pills, 48 unidentifiable white pills, a pharmaceutical pill press and four pounds of a white powder that authorities believe is a fentanyl compound.

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Illegal Pill Presses: An Overlooked Threat to American Patients (2019)

The supply of and demand for dangerous counterfeit and illegally-imported medications has created one of our country’s most serious health challenges—and the prevalence of illegal pill presses are contributing to this crisis. For more information Visit the report launch site Read our 2021 update.

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Guilty Plea From Canadian Who Sold Fentanyl-Laced Candies Via The Internet

The U.S. Department of Justice announced that Christopher Bantli of Calgary, Canada pleaded guilty in federal court. Bantli distributed controlled substances to customers who made their purchases online. The substances, such as fentanyl, alprazolam, or U-47700, could be pressed to look like “Pez” candies…

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Head Of Drug Ring That Made 500,000 Counterfeit Pills Each Month Headed To Prison

A South Carolina resident, who was the leader of a counterfeit drug manufacturing and distribution ring, recently was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison. Eric Hughes and his co-conspirators used rental properties as clandestine drug labs to produce 500,000 fake pills each months, which were distributed locally as well as to online customers…

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Large-Scale Counterfeit Fentanyl Pill Press Operation Found In Akron, Ohio Home

The U.S. Department of Justice announced charges against an Akron, Ohio resident after a search of his home turned up items “consistent with a large-scale pill press operation.” Donyea Nelson received a nine-count indictment in federal court, which included charges for possession of fentanyl, possession of a pill press, and possession of die molds…

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First Three Members Of Elmira, New York Counterfeit Fentanyl Pill Ring Sentenced

The U.S. Department of Justice announced prison sentences for three members of a large-scale counterfeit fentanyl pill manufacturing and distribution ring based in Elmira, New York. The ringleader, Robert Ian Thatcher, received a 23-year prison sentence. Edward Barrett and Dusty Pemberton, both street level dealers, will spend seven and one-half and five and one-half years in prison respectively…

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Raid In British Columbia, Canada Turns Up A Pill Press And Over 100 Different Pill Dyes

Counterfeit pills continue to be a problem in Canada. In Surrey, British Columbia, a raid in November turned up a drug manufacturing lab that contained a pill press and dyes for over 100 different pills. A high school both in that province and another in Ontario have also recently experienced issues of students overdosing from counterfeit Xanax pills…

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