A New Haven man has been accused of manufacturing and distributing hundreds of thousands of counterfeit pills laced with dangerous substances, operating the illegal operation out of a rented garage in East Haven, Connecticut, CBS reports.
The man, Kelldon Hinton, 45, was indicted along with six others in what federal authorities are calling one of the largest counterfeit pill busts in New England.
Hinton allegedly produced counterfeit oxycodone, Xanax, and Adderall pills that contained methamphetamine, protonitazene (a potent synthetic opioid), and other illicit substances such as dimethylpentylone and xylazine, a tranquilizer known as “tranq.” The drugs were sold on the dark web and to local dealers, according to the federal grand jury indictment announced Monday.
Authorities say Hinton purchased drug supplies and pill presses from sources in China and other countries to run his operation. He is accused of shipping more than 1,300 packages across the US between February 2023 and February 2024. His “lab,” located in a nondescript garage about five miles from downtown New Haven, was raided by law enforcement on September 5, resulting in the seizure of hundreds of thousands of counterfeit pills, two pill presses, and other drug-making equipment.
According to investigators, one of the presses could produce up to 100,000 pills per hour. Federal officials say the counterfeit pills contributed to the widespread opioid overdose crisis in the US.
“This investigation reveals the constant challenges that we in law enforcement face in battling the proliferation of synthetic opioids in America,” said Connecticut US Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) echoed those concerns, noting the high toll synthetic opioids like fentanyl are taking across the country. Last year alone, 107,500 people died from drug overdoses in the US, a significant portion of which involved fentanyl or other synthetic opioids.
Hinton and four others were arrested during the September 5 raids, while two additional suspects were charged and released pending trial. Alongside Hinton, those indicted include Heshima Harris, 53; Emanuel Payton, 33; Marvin Ogman, 47; Shawn Stephens, 34; Arnaldo Echevarria, 42; and Cheryle Tyson, 64, all of whom are from Connecticut.
Hinton, who has a prior criminal record for assault, larceny, and drug sales, remains in detention pending trial. The investigation into his activities began in June 2023, after authorities were tipped off by an unnamed source. Investigators used surveillance and intercepted packages sent to and from Hinton’s operation, eventually ordering counterfeit pills from him through the dark web as part of their probe.
