Counterfeit pills in drug arrest believed to be fentanyl
NORRISTOWN Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Upper Merion Township Director of Public Safety/ Chief of Police Thomas M. Nolan announced the arrest Thursday of a Philadelphia man on felony charges related to drug trafficking.
Leon M. Wright, 33, was charged with possession with intent to deliver, dealing in the proceeds of unlawful activity, person not to possess a firearm, receiving stolen property and related charges, according to a release by the district attorney’s office.
The D.A.’s Office gave the following account:
A joint investigation by Upper Merion Township Police and Montgomery County Detectives into the drug trafficking of counterfeit opioid pills in Upper Merion Township led them to the defendant.
While under surveillance by police, Wright was observed conducting numerous drug sales in the area of LA Fitness and Wegmans on Village Drive in King of Prussia. Further investigation determined that Wright was operating out of a residence in the 500 block of South Goddard Drive in Upper Merion Township.
The defendant was arrested, and search warrants were executed on his residence and vehicle, which yielded 347 blue pills suspected to be fentanyl pills; suspected crack cocaine, powder heroin and fentanyl; drug packaging and drug paraphernalia materials; a Taurus .40 caliber firearm and $68,000 in cash. The recovered pills were tested by NMS Labs and were found to contain fentanyl, heroin and Levomethorphan, all illegal substances, as well as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, caffeine and other noncontrolled substances.
“Drug traffickers like this defendant who sell what they say are prescription opioid pills can actually be selling cheap fentanyl, heroin and other illegal substances pressed into molds and made to look like legitimate opioid pills — but they are much stronger and much deadlier. People buying these poisons need to be very, very careful,” Steele said. “Our detectives recently responded to an overdose death of a young woman who thought she bought and consumed an ecstasy pill and in fact, lab reports reflected the purchased pills were actually fentanyl.”
The recovered pills were blue in color, imprinted with “K | 9” and were irregular sizes. The public needs to be on the lookout for these illegal counterfeit pills, which are still in circulation in the Philadelphia metro area, said Steele.
Wright was arraigned on Sept. 5 by Magisterial District Judge William J. Maruszczak, who set bail at $500,000 cash. The defendant was unable to post bail and was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m., Sept. 21, before Judge Maruszczak.