Federal prosecutors: Evansville men were making counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl
EVANSVILLE, Ind. —Two Evansville men have been indicted by a federal grand jury for making and distributing fentanyl pills made to appear as oxycodone and other prescription drugs.
Ethan Parker, 29, and Joshua Harvey, 30, are being charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, distribution of a tableting machine and possession of a tableting machine.
The two men were arrested by Evansville police in April.
If convicted on the federal charges, both Harvey and Parker could be sentenced to 10 years to life in prison.
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The investigation dates back to January, according to the federal indictment, and detectives determined both men distributed and manufactured thousands of fentanyl-laced pills.
About 140 grams of fentanyl, in pill and powder form, was seized during the investigation. Parker and Harvey would allegedly drive to Louisville, Kentucky, to purchase fentanyl powder from an unknown source. They would then distribute the counterfeit pills in the Evansville area.
"Unfortunately, the problem is escalating and you have individuals who just don't care who they're hurting and who they're killing and they just want to chase the money," U.S. Attorney Zachary Myers said.
Dealers utilized 'dark web,' cryptocurrencies
In addition to in-person transactions, federal prosecutors said the two men made heavy use of encrypted messaging apps, "darknet" websites and cryptocurrencies to skirt surveillance.
According to the federal indictment, the men used Tor Browser, a computer application that routes Internet traffic around the world, scrambling its true source, to facilitate some of the drug transactions.
In addition to large amounts of cash, prosecutors say the two men utilized cryptocurrencies – such as Bitcoin – in the course of their drug manufacturing and distribution business.
The internet has increasingly become a source for purchasing fentanyl and other drugs thanks to the rise of cryptocurrencies and apps such as Tor browser, Myers said.
Bitcoin and other such currencies are difficult to trace, and darknet websites – such as the now-defunct Silk Road – allow drug dealers to ship fentanyl and other substances nondescriptly through the U.S. Postal Service.
Myers said the rise of these technologies complicates law enforcement's effort to crack down on the deadly fentanyl trade.
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"We're dealing with evidentiary issues that no one has had to deal with before because of evolving technology," Myers said. "And while it may increase the amount of work that it takes to bring these investigations, we are not going to let technology deter us."
Counterfeit pills push overdose deaths
Phil Smith, assistant chief for the Evansville Police Department, said there has been an increase in the number of fentanyl overdose deaths in the city over the past year.
"We can't arrest our way out of every problem," Myers added.
At the heart of the problem is the deadly rise in circulation of counterfeit pills.
In addition to Harvey and Parker's arrest, the Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force arrested a woman in April who allegedly used a pill press to create counterfeit fentanyl tablets.
Chelsea Arndell, 33, was charged with multiple counts related to narcotics manufacture and distribution. According to a probable cause affidavit, she told police she ordered fentanyl and other drugs from India and China. She is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing September 13 with a jury trial set for October 3.
Smith said the drug Narcan, which can reverse otherwise fatal overdoses, is a key tool in the fight against the opioid epidemic. Narcan can be bought in Evansville at pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens, Smith said.
Alexa Shrake can be reached by email at AShrake@gannett.com. Houston Harwood can be contacted at walter.harwood@courierpress.com.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Evansville men were making counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl
