Seattle Area Drug Trafficker Allegedly Used Pill Press to Make Counterfeit Xanax

December 14, 2018

Federal drug trafficking charges have been filed against Gizachew Wondie, a resident of the Capitol Hill section of Seattle, on charges that he was manufacturing and selling counterfeit Xanax pills and other drugs. In addition to the discovery of a handgun, investigators found approximately 11,000 ‘Xanax’ pills stored in large plastic bags, and a large pill press.

Counterfeiters Coerced U.S. Man to Drive 20,000 Counterfeit Pills Across Mexico-U.S. Border

December 13, 2018

The U.S. Department of Justice announced a guilty plea from Fernando Jesus Peraza. The U.S. citizen was stopped by Customs and Border Protection attempting to enter into the country with over 20,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl hidden in his vehicle on August 8, 2018…

Bay Area Adderall Counterfeiter Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

December 12, 2018

A Brisbane, California resident has been sentenced to ten years in prison for manufacturing and distributing counterfeit Adderall, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Gino Carl von Eckstein, who pleaded guilty in September, was originally charged with producing fake Adderall pills with pill presses located at a house he was using in San Leandro.

Fentanyl and Heroin Found In Counterfeit Pills Sold By A Pair In Ocean County, New Jersey

December 11, 2018

Charges announced against H.J. Zaker Sinder and Mary Mazzi. Police allege that the pair manufactured and distributed counterfeit oxycodone and Xanax pills in the Ocean County, New Jersey area. Testing revealed the pills to contain both fentanyl and heroin…

Man Who Made And Sold Nearly One Million Counterfeit Xanax Pills Sentenced

December 10, 2018

A federal judge in Maryland handed down a 57-month prison sentence to Ryan Farace. Farace manufactured nearly a million counterfeit Xanax pills and sold them on various online marketplaces…

Side Stepping FDA Safeguards to Buy Medicine in Mexico Isn’t Safe, Former DEA Agents Warn

December 10, 2018

In this editorial, which was published in The Salt Lake Tribune on December 10, 2018, former DEA agents Javier Peña and Steve Murphy, warn that importing prescription drugs from other countries is “an extremely risky enterprise with potentially tragic consequences.”

Nevada Woman Admits To Selling Counterfeit Fentanyl Pills That Killed

December 5, 2018

The U.S. Department of Justice announced a guilty plea from Tianna Cordova in a Nevada case. Cordova admitted to selling drugs, including the counterfeit pill made with fentanyl that killed 26-year-old Christina Kuerner…

Arizona Continues Battling Deadly Counterfeit Fentanyl Pills Smuggled By Drug Cartels

December 3, 2018

Arizona continues to battle against counterfeit pills made with fentanyl being smuggled across the border by Mexican drug cartels, and victims continue to stack up. One doctor warns about seeing teenagers being taken to the ER after ingesting these pills, and two families hope that by letting people know they lost loved ones to fake fentanyl pills, it might prevent someone else from making the same mistake…

Police Seized Over 42,000 Illegal, Misbranded, and Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals From A Los Angeles Home

November 30, 2018

The Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office has secured another permanent injunction against two individuals for illegally importing and distributing counterfeit, banned, and misbranded pharmaceuticals. Flavia Maria Rodriguez and Salvador Enrique Velasco Sanchez may never again sell medicines or be involved in advertising of any prescription drugs or herbal remedies…

Brothers In Washington State Charged With Making And Selling Counterfeit Pills: Allegedly Purchased Ingredients and Equipment Online

November 29, 2018

Charges have been filed against Evan and Matthew Stanbery of Bremerton, Washington. The brothers allegedly were the masterminds behind a sophisticated counterfeit pill manufacturing operation. During a search of an apartment used by the pair, police found die molds to make multiple types of pills and three pill presses…