TEXARKANA, Texas -- A man who sold thousands of fake oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl has been sentenced to 370 months in federal prison for drug trafficking violations.
Terrance Lamar Peacock, 32, pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl resulting in death. U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder III sentenced him to three decades behind bars, according to a news release from the Eastern District of Texas.
Peacock conspired with at least three others, including his brother Michael Peacock, to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, marijuana and a synthetic opioid known as U-47700 from 2018 to 2022.
Michael Peacock and Justin Owens have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing, according to court records. Deablo Lewis is scheduled for trial in January 2024.
Terrance Peacock and his co-defendants are accused of distributing thousands of blue pills that were stamped to mimic 30mg oxycodone pills, known on the streets as M-30s, but actually contained fentanyl. The men also sold pills they claimed were ecstasy but contained methamphetamine and caffeine, according to the news release.
Three people who allegedly bought the pills died, according to federal prosecutors.
Another person had to be resuscitated after the administration of Narcan after ingesting fake M-30 pills that contained fentanyl allegedly purchased directly from either Terrance Peacock or Michael Peacock.
"Fentanyl kills indiscriminately, and this defendant chose to sell counterfeit M-30 pills that ultimately claimed the lives of three victims," U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs said in a news release. "The defendant recognized the inevitable consequences of peddling poison and chose greed over the preciousness of life. Today's significant sentence should send a powerful message to those who choose to distribute fentanyl resulting in death -- the Eastern District of Texas will aggressively prosecute these cases to assist in combating the opioid epidemic that has claimed the lives of so many victims."