Florida man Convicted for Manufacturing and Selling Hundreds of Thousands of Counterfeit Oxycodone
Fisher Ordered Pill Presses, Raw Fentanyl, Binding and Cutting Agents from China.
On June 7, 2019, a federal jury found Dion Gregory Fisher, 33, of Seminole, FL, guilty of conspiring to manufacture and distribute fentanyl and fentanyl analogue, guilty of five counts of fentanyl distribution and manufacturing and eight counts of committing money laundering transactions involving more than $10,000 of narcotics proceeds, reports the Tampa Bay Reporter.
Do you understand the role that cheaply-imported pill presses play in the production of deadly counterfeit pills?
According to the Tampa Bay Reporter, during the trial, testimony and evidence alleged that Fisher and Christopher McKinney "manufactured and distributed hundreds of thousands of counterfeit oxycodone 30 mg blue and white pills that were made with fentanyl." Fisher purchased the necessary pill presses, binding and cutting agents from China. Homeland Security seized some of the pill presses. Also implicated in the trial was Sam Huffman, who used the pill presses and materials to press the pills at his automotive business in Pinellas Park and stored the raw ingredients in a work bay in Clearwater. Raw ingredients were also discovered at Fisher's residence in Seminole. More than six pounds of fentanyl and fentanyl analogue were admitted into evidence.
The profits from the illicit pill press operation were laundered through an automotive and tire companies in Pinellas County, owned by Konrad Guzewicz. Guzewicz, McKinney and Huffman have all pleaded guilty to various counts of money laundering, conspiracy to distribute and conspiracy to manufacture fentanyl and fentanyl analogues. They will be sentenced in late June and July.