Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Kansas
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, June 12, 2019

KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A federal indictment unsealed today in Kansas charges a Massachusetts man with distributing counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Anthony Stokes, 32, South Deerfield, Ma., is charged with five counts of distributing fentanyl and five counts of selling counterfeit drugs. The indictment alleges the crimes took place during December 2018 through Feb. 2019 in Wyandotte County, Kan.

The indictment alleges Stokes sold 114 tablets with counterfeit identifying marks belonging to Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals. The tablets contained more than 14.6 grams of fentanyl.

Stokes was arrested June 11 in Massachusetts.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine on the fentanyl charge and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the counterfeit drug charges.

Investigating agencies included Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of the Deerfield Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, the Whatley Police Department, and the Northwestern District Attorney’s Anti-Crime Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley is prosecuting.

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

Topic(s):
Opioids

Component(s):
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
USAO - Kansas