The Recorder – Feds arrest South Deerfield man in drug case

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A federal indictment unsealed Wednesday in Kansas charges a Massachusetts man with distributing counterfeit oxycodone pills containing the synthetic opioid fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

Anthony Stokes, 32, of South Deerfield, is charged with five counts of distributing fentanyl and five counts of selling counterfeit drugs. The indictment alleges the crimes occurred in Kansas’ Wyandotte County from December 2018 through February 2019.

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 in Massachusetts on Tuesday. If convicted, he faces 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 U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of Massachusetts State Police, the Northwestern District Attorney’s Anti-Crime Task Force, and the Whately and Deerfield police departments.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley is prosecuting.

Northwestern District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Mary Carey confirmed in a statement Wednesday morning that federal agents executed search warrants at not only the South Deerfield address on Tuesday, but also at properties in Whately and Greenfield.

Vehicles and men were seen entering and exiting a property at 223 State Road in Whately on Tuesday. Whately Police Chief James Sevigne Jr. confirmed at the time that federal agents were conducting an operation at the home. He said his department was involved, but not in charge of the operation.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.