A man from Connecticut has pleaded guilty to participating in the production and distribution of counterfeit oxycodone pills on dark web markets.
The man Vincent Decaro 31, of Stamford, Connecticut, conspired with two partners to import fentanyl for the manufacture of counterfeit oxycodone pills, and distribute the counterfeit pills to locla and international buyers through the darkweb.
Vincent Decaro had an accomplice named Arber Isaku, they purchased fentanyl from a supplier in China and they used it to manufacture counterfeit oxycodone pills at Decaro’s home in Stamford. After manufacturing the pills, they sold the pills to buyers on darkweb marketplaces. His second accomplice, David Reichard was helped produce the pills and ship them to customers all over the world.
Isaku was arrested on August 23, 2017, after he accepted the delivery of a package that had roughly 160g of fentanyl at his Stanford home. He was released on bond but the trio continued their drug trafficking operation.
Decaro before agreeing that he sold Oxycodone
Law Enforcement acquired a search warrant on Decaro’s residence on April 3, 2018. Executing the search warrant resulted in the seizure of:
- A large number of pills with approximately 330 grams of fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl;
- 40 grams of fentanyl powder;
- Three pill pressing machines;
- Instructions on how to prepare carfentanil;
- A hazmat suit;
- A gas mask;
- A large number of mailing envelopes.
When the search warrant on Decaro’s home was executed, Decaro and Isaku were in Europe. The Albanian State Police arrested and detained them on September 21, 2018, as they were attempting to cross the border from Albania to Kosovo. A search carried out on their Albanian apartment resulted in the seizure of undisclosed quantities and a wide variety of drugs including alprazolam and fentanyl, materials and equipment used in the production of pills, and instructions on how to synthesizing fentanyl.
Decaro has pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute over 100 grams of fentanyl analogues on June 15, 2021. His accomplice Reichard also pleaded guilty to a similar charge in September 2019 but he has not yet been sentenced. Decaro will be sentenced on September 10, 2021 and was released on a $50,000 bond.