⏱ 4 min read
A 35-year-old West Haven man, Shawn Stephens, has been sentenced to 8 years in prison for his role in a large-scale counterfeit pill manufacturing and distribution operation in Connecticut. The operation involved the production of counterfeit oxycodone, Xanax, and Adderall tablets containing synthetic opioids like protonitazene, which is three times more potent than fentanyl. The scheme was uncovered in June 2023, when law enforcement received a tip about Stephens’ co-conspirator, Kelldon Hinton, using a pill press to manufacture large quantities of counterfeit pills.
Through surveillance and undercover operations, investigators found that Hinton, with the help of Stephens and others, was purchasing protonitazene and other substances from China and using tableting machines to manufacture counterfeit pills in a rented garage in East Haven. The pills were then marketed and sold on the dark web and mailed to customers around the US. Between February 2023 and February 2024, Hinton shipped over 1,300 packages through the US Mail.
The investigation was led by the DEA New Haven’s Tactical Diversion Squad and the US Postal Inspection Service. Stephens’ sentence includes 97 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. The case highlights the growing concern of counterfeit pill operations in the US, which can have deadly consequences due to the potency of synthetic opioids like protonitazene.
The operation’s scope and the use of the dark web to sell counterfeit pills underscore the need for continued efforts to combat drug trafficking and protect public health. The sentence handed down to Stephens serves as a warning to those involved in similar operations that law enforcement is actively working to dismantle these schemes and bring perpetrators to justice.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Drug Trafficking
- Defendant: Connecticut
- Location: CT
- Source: DOJ Press Release
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