Joshua Morales, Possession with Intent to Distribute, California 2023

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LAWRENCE, MA – Joshua Morales, 31, is looking at serious time after copping to a federal charge stemming from a massive fentanyl pill operation. Morales pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute, meaning he admitted to hauling a load of fake Percocet pills that could kill.

Back in August 2025, cops were watching Morales as he hit a Methuen stash house – a known drug spot according to court papers. He left with a big orange bag, and a subsequent traffic stop in Lawrence turned up the heat: 10,000 counterfeit Percocet pills, believed to be laced with fentanyl. That’s a whole lot of poison hitting the streets.

But Morales wasn’t just a delivery boy. A raid on the Methuen location revealed a full-scale pill mill. Feds found an automated pill press, kilos of fake Adderall and Percocet (also spiked with fentanyl and meth), along with all the fixings – cutting agents, blenders, scales, and piles of raw powder. This wasn’t some small-time operation; it was a manufacturing hub.

Morales is facing up to 20 years in the can, plus years of supervised release and a hefty fine. Judge Patti B. Saris set sentencing for June 12, 2026 – a long wait for justice. The case was brought by U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley, with help from the FBI, Massachusetts State Police, and Methuen PD.

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