New Hampshire man charged with producing counterfeit pills

A man from Manchester, New Hampshire, has been charged in connection with operating a pill press to manufacture counterfeit medicines laced with fentanyl and methamphetamine.

Jerry Summers (44) has been charged with one count of manufacturing a controlled substance, two counts of distribution of a controlled substance, one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and trafficking in a drug and using a counterfeit mark.

His alleged activities came to light after the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) raided his Manchester office, rented under the business name of Summertime Drywall and Maintenance LLC, which uncovered a pill press that was covered in powdered fentanyl and methamphetamine residue and wrapped in soundproofing material, as well as a large number of coloured tablets.

The raid followed two occasions in which Summers sold pills to a “confidential informant”, according to a Department of Justice statement.

Earlier this year, the DEA issued a letter to e-commerce companies, reminding them of their obligations on the sale of tablet presses, after an investigation revealed that some were continuing to list the devices without keeping proper records.

Some online retailers – including Amazon, eBay and Etsy – say they have banned all sales of tabletting and encapsulating machines and pill punches from their platforms.

According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were more than 100,000 deaths in the US caused by drug overdoses in the 12 months to January 2024, with synthetic opioids – primarily fentanyl – estimated to account for more than two-thirds of fatalities.