Secret North Carolina Fentanyl Lab Gets Armed Trafficker 27 Years

WILMINGTON, N.C. - Quavion Maurice Pickett, a/k/a "Q," a 30-year-old resident of Rock Hill, South Carolina has been sentenced to 324 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release, and a forfeiture of over $72,000, for trafficking fentanyl pills in the Fayetteville area which he manufactured in a makeshift lab in a laundry room. Pickett pled guilty on April 24, 2024.

"Counterfeit pills made with deadly fentanyl in filthy makeshift labs are turning up everywhere. This trafficker was caught with three kilos of fentanyl, a high-capacity pill press, cash, and tens of thousands of counterfeit oxycodone pills," said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. "These pills are made with zero quality-control, with narcotics being mixed in plastic bins and store-bought blenders by reckless, money-hungry narcotics dealers who care only about money and care nothing for human life. Never, ever, take a pill bought on the street or online that isn't prescribed by a real doctor. You are gambling with your life."

"The Fayetteville Police Department continues to work collaboratively with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, we continue to aggressively combat narcotic trafficking affecting our community," said Kemberle Braden, Fayetteville Chief of Police.

According to the court documents and other information presented in court, in April 2022, officers with the Fayetteville Police Department became aware of the drug distribution activities of Pickett through information provided by a confidential informant. Ultimately, law enforcement conducted surveillance on Pickett's residence in Fayetteville and observed what appeared to be drug transactions conducted by Pickett on multiple occasions. Law enforcement searched a residence where Pickett was living. While executing the search warrant, law enforcement discovered a counterfeit pill making operation in the laundry room of the residence complete with a pill press, large plastic tote containers covered in light blue powder residue, multiple digital scales, multiple knotted plastic baggies containing pressed tablets, plastic baggies, a blender covered in powder residue, various full and empty bags containing different colored cutting agents, a money counter covered in powder residue, various metal hand tools, a funnel, pill press die molds, loose blue tablets, and a baggie containing yellow, white, and blue tablets.

In Pickett's bedroom law enforcement located and seized baggies containing 157 pressed pills, over $70,000 in cash in a shoe box, a loaded .45 caliber handgun, and a jar and baggie containing an unspecified amount of marijuana. Additionally, officers recovered an additional $1,760 in cash on Pickett. The amount of fentanyl seized from the residence totaled 3.1 kilos of fentanyl. The fentanyl pills seized had pressed markings of "A215," designed to appear to be oxycodone hydrochloride 30 milligram pills.

Following his arrest by state officials, investigators received reliable information that he had purchased the pill press used in this operation about eight months prior to his arrest and was responsible for purchasing multiple kilograms of fentanyl used for making these pills.

Pickett was subsequently indicted by the Eastern District of North Carolina after which federal arrest warrants were issued for Pickett's arrest. Law enforcement arrested Pickett on October 26, 2022, in South Carolina where he was residing at the time. During the arrest law enforcement located and seized a duffle bag with 11 baggies containing a total of 19,016 pressed fentanyl pills inside, as well as two baggies of fentanyl powder weighing approximately 294.85 grams, a sifter, a grinding bowl, three plastic containers with powder residue, and drug packaging materials. A digital scale, marijuana, two cellphones, and $5,525 in cash were also seized.

Between September 30, 2021, until October 26, 2022, Pickett was found to be responsible for possession with intent to distribute 8,706.98 grams of fentanyl and 10.50 grams of marijuana. Pickett also maintained a premises for the purpose of manufacturing and distributing a controlled substance, as well as possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. Furthermore, based upon Pickett's imprinting the pills with specific numbers associated with prescription pills for distribution, as well as text messages seized from Pickett's cellphone the Court found that Pickett knowingly misrepresented a substance containing fentanyl as something other than fentanyl.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Fayetteville Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Nucci prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 5:22-CR-00259-M-RJ.