Fake Xanax Manufacturer Sentenced to Prison in California Case
28 year old Oakland resident David Beckford has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in producing and selling counterfeit Xanax pills. Beckford and his co-conspirators imported bulk medication and pill presses from China and other countries that they then turned into real-looking Xanax pills. Authorities found that he intended to put more than 150,000 fake pills into circulation in the black market.
Who: Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations.
When: February 9, 2017, January 17, 2014, to December 12, 2015.
Where: Oakland, California.
How: Investigation by DEA, FDA-OCI, and IRS Criminal Investigations.
Additional details: Beckford is one of 5 people who faced prosecution in the conspiracy. In addition to Beckford, 3 of his co-conspirators, Stephan Florida, Isaiah Clayton and Beau Sankene have all pleaded guilty to counterfeit drug and money laundering charges.
Related sources:
“ David Beckford Superseding Indictment,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 12, 2016.
“Joint Law Enforcement Operation Leads To Conviction Of East Bay Counterfeit Drug Manufacturer,” U.S. Department of Justice, February 9, 2017.
“Fake Xanax manufacturer sentenced to 10 years in prison,” San Francisco Examiner, February 9, 2017.
“ Mastermind Sentenced to Prison For Fake Xanax Scheme,” Alameda Patch, February 10, 2017.