Man accused of large-scale fake pill production charged in US

A man accused of manufacturing more than 200 kg in counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine has been arrested and charged in the US.

Schuyler Oppenheimer (33) of Cambridge, Massachusetts, was arrested on July 18 and subsequently charged with possession of 500 grams and more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and two counts of wire fraud. He has been detained pending further court hearings.

Oppenheimer – who went by the pseudonyms Michael Sylvain and SK – sought to important fentanyl precursors into the US from overseas sources, including from China, and manufactured a "massive number" of pills that looked like regular prescription Adderall or Percocet tablets, according to the Department of Justice.

The statement suggests that Oppenheimer is "technically skilled" in the synthesis of fentanyl, compounding controlled substances for distribution, and the manufacturing of counterfeit pills.

"Each alleged sale was a potentially deadly transaction for customers – or anyone else who stumbled upon these deceptive drugs,” said Jodi Cohen, a special agent in the FBI's Boston division.

According to court documents, recipes, pill press moulds, documents and invoices demonstrating that Oppenheimer purchased numerous pill presses and parts for pill presses from online vendors were seized during a search of a residence in Parker Street, Cambridge, along with more than 5 kg of suspected counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine (pictured above) and a loaded firearm.

Over a four-year period from 2019, he is suspected of obtaining more than 200 kg of excipient powders used for making pills that equates to "millions of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine," said the DoJ. He is also accused of fraudulently obtaining over $40,000 in pandemic loans, submitting false statements about his income, and filing falsified tax returns.

If convicted, he could face up to a life sentence in prison and a fine of up to $10m.