The DEA Is Warning Of A Rise In Overdose Deaths From Fake Drugs Laced With Fentanyl

In its first public safety alert in six years, the Drug Enforcement Administration is warning about a dramatic increase in fake prescription drugs being sold on the black market containing a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl.

The DEA said the counterfeit pills — made to look like real opioid medications such as oxycodone, Percocet or Adderall — are sold on the street by dealers or online, including through social media platforms.

"If you have a smartphone and you're sitting on the sofa at home ... your drug dealer is right there in your hands," DEA spokesperson Anne Edgecomb said in an interview with NPR.

The agency said it has seized more than 9.5 million fake pills so far this year, more than the last two years combined. It said its lab has found that two out of every five fake pills with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose of the drug.

"The United States is facing an unprecedented crisis of overdose deaths fueled by illegally manufactured fentanyl and methamphetamine," DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said. "Counterfeit pills that contain these dangerous and extremely addictive drugs are more lethal and more accessible than ever before."

The last time the agency issued such a public safety alert was in 2015 when it warned of a sharp increase on the street of fentanyl-laced heroin.

The latest warning comes amid an ongoing epidemic of drug overdoses in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 93,000 Americans died from a drug overdose last year — more than ever before.

"Fentanyl, the synthetic opioid most commonly found in counterfeit pills, is the primary driver of this alarming increase in overdose deaths," the DEA said.

This alert doesn't only apply to fake opioid medications. DEA officials said a knockoff version of the stimulant Adderall is being sold on the black market laced with methamphetamines.

The alert issued Monday doesn't apply to legally prescribed and dispensed legitimate pharmaceutical medications, the DEA said.

Coordinated Law Enforcement Effort Dismantles California to Western Pennsylvania Drug Pipeline

PITTSBURGH, PA – Forty-seven individuals have been charged in six separate, but related, indictments with narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and firearms violations following a nine-month Title III wiretap investigation into drug trafficking in and around the counties of Jefferson, Clearfield, and Allegheny, Acting United States Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman announced today.

“In the last two years, we have seen methamphetamine distribution on the rise in western Pennsylvania,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kaufman. “Through Operation Return to Sender, we have shut down a major California to western Pennsylvania drug pipeline and improved the quality of life for our citizens.”

“These indictments show how far reaching and effective the efforts of law enforcement collaboration are in combating drug-traffickers that seek to distribute illegal drugs in our communities,” said Thomas Hodnett, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “I want to thank all of our law enforcement partners that participated in this investigation that netted drug-traffickers operating not only in Pennsylvania but in Oregon, California, Texas, and Ohio as well.”

“Today is the culmination of a major drug investigation that involved many state and federal agencies working hand-in-hand to protect the citizens of Jefferson County,” said Jefferson County District Attorney Jeff Burkett. “I commend, applaud and thank the DEA, the Pennsylvania State Police, Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen Kaufman and his office and the many other law enforcement agencies that spearheaded this important effort. It is very gratifying to see so many agencies working so hard together for such a great cause.”

“I am truly grateful for the hard work and dedication of Acting U.S. Attorney Kaufman, his staff, the Pennsylvania State Police, DuBois City Police Department, the DEA, and other law enforcement agencies for dismantling this network that has been supplying enormous quantities of drugs to Clearfield County and surrounding areas,” said Ryan Sayers, District Attorney of Clearfield County. “Organizing and executing an operation of this magnitude across multiple states and jurisdiction is no simple task, but it is worth it to protect our friends and neighbors from these drugs that plague our communities. Operations like this one and Crystal Highway, which occurred last year, send a clear message to drug traffickers—that Clearfield County is closed for their business.”

The named conspirators include leaders, members, drug suppliers, and associates of a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing narcotics throughout Western Pennsylvania.  According to the Indictment, the defendants conspired to possess with intent to distribute and distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine, 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, 500 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of cocaine, and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing marijuana from July 2020 through August 2021. The Indictment further alleges that several members of the conspiracy conspired to launder the monetary proceeds of the illegal drug trafficking activity. Finally, the Indictment alleges individual drug trafficking violations against Morgan Gregory, Jeffery Peters, and Christina Shaffer, as well as a firearms violation against Justin Zeruth. For all defendants, the law provides for a minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and up to life, a fine of not more than $10,000,000, or both.

A second indictment names:

• Yusuf Adekunle, 26, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Adrian Alvarez, 27, (address unknown)

• Jesus Gonzalez, 35, of Houston, Texas.

According to the two-count Indictment, on or about October 22, 2020, the defendants conspired to distribute and possessed with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine. The law provides for a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life, a fine of $10 million or both.

A third indictment names Doug Austen, 40, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, Austen possessed with intent to distribute and distributed more than 50 grams of methamphetamine on June 9, 2021. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years to a maximum of life in prison, a fine not to exceed $10,000,000, or both.

A fourth indictment names Brent Coder, 54, of Dubois, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, on or about August 19, 2020 Coder distributed a quantity of methamphetamine and or about September 17, 2020, Coder possessed with intent to more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. The law provides for a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life in prison, a fine of $10 million or both.

A fifth indictment names John Vos, 44, address unknown, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, Vos conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and on October 21, 2020, possessed with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The law provides for a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life in prison, a fine of $10 million or both.

A sixth indictment names six individuals:

• Diego Zamudio, age 23, Pasadena, Texas

• Kimari Jackson, age 25, Richmond Heights, Ohio

• Terry Kelly, age 60, of Penfield, Pennsylvania

• Kareem Rock, age 27, of Richmond Heights, Ohio

• Ryan Schoening, age 31, of Rockton, Pennsylvania

• Jason Whitaker, age 48, of Dubois, Pennsylvania.

According to the Indictment, the defendants conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute and distributed more than 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine from November 2020 through April 22, 2021. Jackson and Rock were also charged with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine following a traffic stop on February 6, 2021. A subsequent search of their hotel room resulted in the seizure of more than 50 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years to a maximum of life in prison, a fine not to exceed $10,000,000, or both.

Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of each defendant.

The six indictments, returned by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on August 24, 2021, were unsealed today.

The Drug Enforcement Administration led the multi-agency investigation of this case, which also included the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Services – Criminal Investigation, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and Pennsylvania State Police. Also assisting were the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, the Allegheny County Police Department, the Clarion Borough Police Department, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.

Acting U.S Attorney Kaufman also recognized the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, under the leadership of Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert, for their assistance with the investigation and handling of initial proceedings in their District. 

This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan D. Lusty and Michael R. Ball are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Violent gang members, cartel conduit sentenced to federal prison for roles in major drug-trafficking conspiracy

Defendants were indicted as part of Operation Stranded Bandit

SAVANNAH, GA:  A member of a violent Chicago street gang, two Ghost Face Gangsters and a conduit for Mexican drug cartels have been sentenced to decades in federal prison for their roles in a major drug trafficking conspiracy that funneled large amounts of methamphetamine and other drugs into coastal and south Georgia.

Leroy Bozarth, a/k/a “Jack Turtlehead,” 38, of Springfield, Ill., was sentenced to 235 months in prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Quantity of Methamphetamine, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker also ordered Bozarth to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Making our communities safer means removing the violent criminals who endanger our neighborhoods, especially those affiliated with street gangs,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “As an enforcer for such a gang, Leroy Bozarth used violence, fear and intimidation as tools of his drug trade. Our streets will be safer with him and his co-conspirators behind bars.”

Bozarth was one of 35 defendants indicted as part of Operation Stranded Bandit, as described in the indictment unsealed in December 2020 in USA v. Baker et al. Other key figures sentenced in U.S. District Court include:

• Dustin Lax
• , a/k/a “Wing Nut,” a/k/a “Tyrone White,” 45, of Garden City, Ga., sentenced to 188 months in federal prison and ordered to serve three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and To Distribute a Quantity of Methamphetamine. Lax, a captain in the violent, white supremacist Ghost Face Gangsters criminal street gang, has 34 prior felony convictions and currently faces state charges related to a murder during a home invasion, and an aggravated assault case in which he is accused of dragging a woman from a car so his partner could shoot her in the back.

• Victor Lopez-Blanco
• , a/k/a “Victoriano,” 51, of Jonesboro, Ga., sentenced to 292 months in prison and ordered to serve five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine. Lopez-Blanco, a resident of Mexico and illegal alien who first entered the United States in 2003, served as a conduit for methamphetamine shipped from violent Mexican cartels through the Atlanta area and into Savannah.
• Heather Sloan

, a/k/a “Penny,” a/k/a “Honey,” 35, of East Dublin, Ga., sentenced to 30 months in prison and ordered to serve five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute 5 Grams or More of Methamphetamine. Sloan, an affiliate of the Ghost Face Gangsters, facilitated meth distribution throughout middle and coastal Georgia.

The investigation and indictments grew from other major gang-related drug trafficking prosecutions in Operation Vanilla Gorilla and Operation Who’s Laughing Now. The investigations and prosecutions, under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, targeted widespread, gang-related drug trafficking organizations in the Southern District and beyond.

An occasional resident of Port Wentworth, Ga., Bozarth is a previously convicted felon with decades-long criminal history that started when he sold crack cocaine as a pre-teen. As a member and “muscle” for the Almighty Simon City Royals – a violent Chicago street gang – Bozarth was part of a conspiracy that transported illegal drugs into the Southern District from Mexico and Atlanta, aided by multiple criminal street gangs including the Ghost Face Gangsters, La Raza/SUR 13, Bloods, Vice Lords, Gangster Disciples, and Aryan Brotherhood.

The conspirators operated inside and outside Georgia’s prison system, using drones and other means to smuggle cell phones into prisons so that incarcerated conspirators could continue to coordinate the trafficking operations from Mexico to Georgia. 

Of the 35 defendants charged in Operation Stranded Bandit, at least 24 have entered guilty pleas with many of them sentenced, while seven are awaiting trail and are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

“ATF will continue to dedicate federal resources in conjunction with those crucial law enforcement contributions of other federal, state and local agencies to the pursuit of eradicating and forestalling criminal gang activity,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

“This notorious drug trafficking organization distributed poison (methamphetamine) to the coastal and south Georgia community while causing fear through means of violence and intimidation,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Field Division. “Through law enforcement partnerships, these defendants will spend well-deserved time in prison.”

“Illegal drugs and criminal street gangs have no place in Georgia. These defendants have been threatening the safety of communities for years,” said Vic Reynolds, Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). “We will continue to work diligently along with our local and federal partners to investigate and dismantle drug trafficking organizations.”

The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

The case is being investigated by agencies including the ATF, DEA, GBI, and the Savannah-Chatham Counter Narcotics Team, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys E. Greg Gilluly Jr. and Jennifer J. Kirkland.