The plan was straightforward: buy a ton of counterfeit pills pressed with fentanyl, and get rich selling them. But it was easier hatched than executed. For starters, how do three guys — combined age 63 years — get access to legit-looking, fentanyl-laced, counterfeit pharmaceuticals? Once they find a source, how do they scrape together enough cash to buy in bulk? And once they have the pills, how do they connect with customers?
Hunter O’Mealy, Caleb Carr, and Matthew Gudino-Pena were undaunted by these barriers to entry. They had the advantage of living in a world of social media, where the natural limits of communication have all gone up in smoke. Having come of age in this world, and so knowing intuitively how to navigate it, the young men from eastern Washington had remarkably little trouble finding a source of fentanyl. Using Snapchat, the trio tracked down a Mexican supplier and arranged an in-person purchase.
Read Full Article »
