Michigan man sentenced for selling counterfeit prescription drugs on dark web
(CBS DETROIT) – A Michigan man has been sentenced to 70 months in prison on charges relating to illegally selling prescription medication and counterfeit drugs on the dark web.
Erik Miller, 47, of Sturgis, is serving the sentence on a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, according to a press release from Mark A. Totten, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan in Kalamazoo. Miller had previously pleaded guilty to distributing pills and other drugs online.
In 2022, according to the district attorney's office, Miller began working with a vendor on the dark web to distribute counterfeit Xanax pills, illegal controlled substances such as methamphetamine, and prescription medication without requiring customers to provide a prescription.
Counterfeit pills are those that have different ingredients than the actual medication, perhaps an incorrect amount of the intended medication, and sometimes instead contain dangerous substances such as lethal amounts of fentanyl.
"Throughout his participation in the conspiracy, Miller regularly received packages containing thousands of Xanax pills and other drugs, which Miller then used to fulfill customer orders," the district attorney said.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Investigators executed a search warrant in April 2023 at Miller's home and another property, where, officials say, he had stored both controlled and non-controlled substances. The substances found included MDMA, methamphetamine, cocaine, LSD and counterfeit Xanax; "as well as other hallmarks of a drug trafficking operation," the report said.
Miller also was found to be in possession of three firearms, despite not being prohibited from doing so.
"One pill can kill," Totten said about counterfeit drugs. "Individuals should only take prescription drugs prescribed by a trusted medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. My office will continue holding peddlers accountable for pushing potentially deadly poisons into our communities."
For information about the dangers of counterfeit pills, authorities recommend looking up Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Fact Sheet and the DEA's One Pill Can Kill website, www.dea.gov/onepill.
