TL;DR: Wyatt “Oxygod” Pasek, 22, of Santa Ana, California was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison for “his role in a scheme that used fentanyl and other synthetic opioids to manufacture and sell counterfeit pharmaceutical pills designed to look like brand-name oxycodone pills,” according to the Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California. Pasek’s personal fortune reportedly included a diamond Bitcoin necklace and thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency.

Oxygod Sentenced to More Than 17 Years

Pasek reportedly admitted at the end of last year to pushing fake oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl, which he peddled over social media, posting pictures and videos of himself in various states of repose and luxury. Apparently, he has previous narcotics-related convictions, and was found to be in possession of a firearm at the time of his arrest. His sentence translates into just over 17 years.

Officials allege he and two others worked with Chinese online outfits to get the chemicals, pressed the pill themselves, and sold them on so-called dark markets with delivery conducted by in-person and by mail. Pills were stamped A 215, and appeared round and blue, mimicking familiar brands. U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna stressed, “The use of powerful drugs such as fentanyl in counterfeit pills intentionally made to look like less-lethal opioids demonstrates a complete disrespect for human life.”

Prosecutors claimed to have found 100,000 fake pills, wads of cash, and nearly a dozen pounds of fentanyl and fentanyl knock-offs. Oxygod will have to give up more than $20,000 in cash, jewelry, gold bars, and an undisclosed amount of cryptocurrency. The press release emphasized he “caused highly toxic drugs to be mixed into counterfeit pharmaceuticals at a clandestine laboratory in a highly populated residential and commercial area, the Newport Beach Peninsula, and sold the drugs in massive quantities for approximately one year.”

Pasek’s cohorts were sentenced to 87 months and 37 months for their respective roles. “Had federal agents not intercepted these packages,” a sentencing memo insisted, “they would have resulted in substantial counterfeit opioids containing fentanyl and fentanyl analogues to be distributed to New York, California, Massachusetts, Illinois, Texas, Florida, Nevada, Georgia, Utah, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Colorado, Alabama, and Nebraska.”

DISCLOSURE: The author holds cryptocurrency as part of his financial portfolio, including BCH.

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