In Connecticut, a man from New Haven named Kelldon Hinton has been accused of manufacturing and distributing fake pills containing methamphetamine and other drugs. This operation was conducted from a garage he referred to as his “lab” in East Haven, just a few miles away from downtown New Haven. The pills were shipped across the U.S. and sold by local dealers on the streets. This case has been described as one of the largest counterfeit pill busts in New England.
Hinton allegedly used drugs and pill presses obtained from sellers in China and other countries to produce counterfeit oxycodone, Xanax, and Adderall pills. These pills were laced with methamphetamine, protonitazene – a potent synthetic opioid, dimethylpentylone, and xylazine. Authorities stated that one of the pill presses found in the garage could produce up to 100,000 pills per hour.
The operation came to light when law enforcement officials raided the garage and other locations on September 5, leading to the arrest of Hinton and four others. They confiscated hundreds of thousands of pills, along with pill manufacturing equipment. The authorities involved in the investigation included the Connecticut U.S. Attorney’s Office, the DEA, the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and state and local police.
The sale of fake prescription pills containing opioids like fentanyl has contributed to a significant increase in overdose deaths nationwide. The DEA’s New England field division emphasized the agency’s commitment to combating drug trafficking organizations responsible for distributing these harmful substances. The investigation into Hinton’s activities began in June 2023, following a tip from an undisclosed source.
In addition to Hinton, six other individuals from Connecticut were indicted in connection to this case. Hinton, along with two others, are currently in custody, while the remaining individuals have been released pending trial. It was revealed that Hinton has a criminal record dating back to 1997, including convictions for assault, larceny, and drug sales.
The overdose epidemic in the U.S. has claimed the lives of over 1 million people since 1999, with approximately 107,500 overdose deaths reported last year. The majority of fentanyl entering the country is produced in Mexico by powerful drug cartels, with precursor chemicals often sourced from China. Counterfeit pills containing fentanyl have become a significant concern, with more than 70,000 American deaths attributed to the substance last year.
The prevalence of counterfeit pills containing potent opioids underscores the ongoing challenges faced by law enforcement in addressing the synthetic opioid crisis in the United States. Efforts to dismantle drug trafficking operations and prevent the distribution of harmful substances remain a top priority for federal, state, and local authorities.
