Three Chinese Nationals Indicted in Massive Opioid Distribution Scheme

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Federal prosecutors have unsealed indictments against three Chinese nationals accused of flooding the United States with deadly synthetic opioids, contributing to a surge in overdoses and deaths. Deyao Chen, Guichun Chen, and Liangtu Pan are charged with conspiracy to import and distribute dangerous substances, including furanyl fentanyl, U-47700, and methoxyacetyl fentanyl. The trio allegedly operated a sophisticated online network based in the People’s Republic of China, peddling poison to a desperate American market.

According to the indictment, between April 2016 and March 22, 2017, the defendants utilized websites hosted in China to solicit orders for controlled substances. Customers paid through intermediary websites, masking the flow of funds. Once payment was confirmed, orders were emailed to a U.S.-based distributor, David Landis, a former Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Deputy Sheriff. Landis then acted as the domestic funnel, receiving shipments from China and re-shipping them via the United States Postal Service to addresses across the country and internationally.

The scale of the operation is staggering. Landis, who has already pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing, is accused of mailing approximately 2,900 packages of illicit drugs on behalf of Chen, Chen, and Pan. The indictment details 62 distribution counts, with one specifically linked to a serious bodily injury resulting from U-47700. More chillingly, 61 counts connect the distribution of U-47700 and/or furanyl fentanyl to the deaths of five individuals in Georgia, Illinois, Ohio, and Tennessee – all of whom fatally overdosed with these substances in their systems.

U.S. Attorney McSwain didn’t mince words, framing the case as an act of aggression. “Make no mistake: China is waging an undeclared war on our country and our American way of life, with deadly drugs serving as its weapon of choice,” McSwain stated. “China is supplying the United States with the most potent and deadly fentanyl and other synthetic opioids on the market today.” He vowed to hold international suppliers accountable, regardless of distance.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Marlon V. Miller echoed that sentiment. “This indictment sends a strong message to anyone connected anywhere in the world with production and trafficking of narcotics into the United States that Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners are going to hold you accountable,” Miller said. “Whether you’re selling fentanyl on a corner in Kensington or hiding behind a keyboard in China, Homeland Security Investigations will ensure that justice will be served.”

The investigation was a collaborative effort, involving the Pennsylvania State Police and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. District Attorney Kevin Steele highlighted the devastating impact of traffickers like Landis, stating, “Because of traffickers like Landis, people are dying across the Commonwealth and across the country.” The indictments mark a significant, if belated, attempt to stem the tide of fentanyl flowing from China and fueling the opioid epidemic that continues to ravage communities nationwide.

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