A Lawrence man has been slapped with federal charges for allegedly possessing a staggering amount of fake Percocet pills. Joshua Morales, 31, was charged with possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute after being nabbed with an orange bag full of approximately 10,000 counterfeit pills believed to be laced with fentanyl, as detailed in court documents, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Massachusetts reported.
The law didn't just track Morales on a whim; he was seen entering a known drug house in Methuen and leaving with the suspicious cargo, then he made his way to Lawrence where the cops got him, and this is where authorities say they found the illicit stash in his vehicle. The charges could land Morales in federal prison for up to 20 years with at least three years of supervised release and fines reaching up to $1 million, reflections of the severity with which the federal system views these offenses. Meanwhile, the Methuen residence yielded a veritable factory of illegal drug production—an automated pill press and various ingredients including counterfeit Adderall and more questionable pills, all part of the evidence cache collected.
The case was brought to light by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and involved collaboration between several key law enforcement agencies, such as the Massachusetts State Police and local police departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is handling the prosecution, aligning with "Operation Take Back America" efforts aiming at cracking down on the offenses associated with illegal drugs and the crimes they foster.
The website for the U.S. Attorney's office reminds us that the details in the charging documents are, at this juncture, allegations and that Morales is presumed innocent—part and parcel of our legal system's tenets, unless and until he's proven guilty in court.
