BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Federal authorities have charged two New York City men with distributing over a million counterfeit pills in Western New York, some of which contained fentanyl.
Prosecutors identified Edwin Miguel Batista from Queens, New York, as one of the suspects. Court records show he admitted to ordering the pills from India and distributed them through post offices across Western New York.
"You don't know how much fentanyl is inside of these pills, right, but just know that it is in there," said Christopher Harzynski, founder of Creative Restorations, an organization supporting people with addiction disorders.
Authorities said the counterfeit pill operation was based at a storage facility near the Fashion Outlets, at unit B24, where investigators say they found bags of pills, a scale and packaging material.
Harzynski expressed relief that law enforcement is targeting major suppliers, which he believes will reduce the availability of dangerous pills on the streets.
Despite a downward trend in overdose numbers, Harzynski said this is not the time to get complacent.
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