Virginia Man Sentenced for Ordering and Selling 30k Fent Pills

A Virginia man who ordered roughly 30,000 fentanyl pills from California and sold them in Southwest Virginia was sentenced to 42 months in prison.

Zachary Ryan Hutton, 21, of Marion, Virginia, pleaded guilty earlier this year to knowingly possessing with the intent to distribute and distributing 400 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl. A judge sentenced Hutton to 42 months in prison and ordered him to pay a $50,000 fine to the United States government.

“According to court documents, law enforcement began investigating a flood of illegal pills in Smyth County, Virginia that resembled pharmaceutical-grade oxycodone pills that were inconsistent in size, shape, and color, indicating they were counterfeit pills. The investigation revealed that the active ingredient in these “pressed” pills was fentanyl. Pills of this type are sometimes referred to as “Roxicodone,” “pressed,” or “M30” pills and often have an imprint of an “M” on one side and a “30” on the other side.”

The U.S. Postal Service–Office of Inspector General intercepted a package addressed to “Ryan Hutton” at his grandmother’s residence in June 2021. After opening the box, investigators discovered 561 grams of pressed fentanyl pills.

In June 2021, the U.S. Postal Service–Office of Inspector General intercepted a package addressed to “Ryan Hutton” at the residence of Hutton’s grandmother in Marion. The package contained approximately 561 grams of pressed fentanyl pills.

Police conducted a controlled delivery of the package. During the subsequent search of the residence, investigators found Hutton in possession of 798 pressed fentanyl pills. During the investigation, law enforcement officers learned that Hutton had ordered: “fentanyl pills by mail for at least four months, received approximately 30,000 pills during that time frame, and paid a source in California $20,000 for the most recent package.”

In a sentencing memorandum, Hutton’s attorney wrote:

“In an effort to locate a supplier to support his habit, Mr. Hutton resorted to the use of social media. This, unsurprisingly, led to his solicitation and involvement in trafficking the pills upon a promise from the supplier to support his habit.”

The court documents either contain no information about the case or remain under seal. So I do not know any details. Seems like a lot of fentanyl though. Sentence seems shorter than I am accustomed to seeing.

Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced for Distribution of 30,000 ‘Pressed’ Pills | www.justice.gov, archive.is, archive.org