ROME, Ga. — A 43-year-old man will spend years behind bars after shipping counterfeit pills containing fentanyl to north Georgia.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
On June 24, Onesepherous L. Grissette, 43, of Conway, SC, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance.
He was sentenced to five years, and 10 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release.
The sentencing stems from an investigation that began in July 2022.
TRENDING STORIES:
- ‘American Pickers’ Frank Fritz dies
- Rockdale County chemical plant fire: New shelter-in-place warning issued for gas cloud banking down
- Happy birthday, Jimmy Carter! Former president celebrates milestone 100th birthday today
According to court documents, United States Postal Inspection Service investigators stopped a shipment of pills mailed from South Carolina that was headed toward a person who lived in Chickamauga, Georgia.
Officials said the pills looked like the prescription drug oxycodone, but testing confirmed that the tablets contained fentanyl.
The investigation revealed that Grissette shipped over 4,500 pills to the Chickamauga resident for almost two years and that the resident paid Grissette $85,000.
“The danger posed by counterfeit pills and fentanyl is a real and continuing threat to our citizens and has claimed many lives,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our office and agency partners are continually developing new and innovative investigative strategies for identifying traffickers who peddle these dangerous drugs and to hold them accountable for causing irreparable harm to our communities.”
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
IN OTHER NEWS:
This browser does not support the video element.