Stamford Man Admits To Selling Fake Oxycodone Pills: Prosecutors

STAMFORD, CT — A Stamford man admitted to trafficking counterfeit oxycodone pills containing "fentanyl analogues", according to a news release from Leonard C. Boyle, the acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. Analogue drugs, or designer drugs as they're sometimes called, mimic the effects of the original drug.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Vincent Decaro, 31, and an associate purchased fentanyl analogues from suppliers in China and, working out of Decaro’s residence at 77 West Hill Circle in Stamford, pressed the drug into counterfeit oxycodone pills, which they sold to customers on dark web markets.

David Reichard, who lived for a short time at Decaro’s residence, helped Decaro press pills and mail the pills to customers, according to the news release.

On April 3, 2018, a court-authorized search of Decaro’s residence revealed numerous pills containing approximately 330 grams of fentanyl and acetyl fentanyl, approximately 40 grams of fentanyl analogues in powder form, three pill presses, instructions on how to prepare the fentanyl analogue Carfentanil, a hazardous material suit, a gas/respirator-type mask, and numerous U.S. Postal mail envelopes.

At the time of the search of Decaro’s home in April 2018, Decaro was in Europe. On Sept. 21, 2018, Decaro and his associate were arrested by Albanian State Police as they were attempting to cross the border from Albania into Kosovo. A search of an apartment in Tirana where they had been staying revealed alprazolam, fentanyl and other controlled substances; tools and dies for pressing pills, and instructions for synthesizing fentanyl.

Decaro pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of fentanyl analogues. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for Sept. 10. Decaro is currently released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing. Reichard pleaded guilty to a related charge in September 2019 and awaits sentencing.

This case has been investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Connecticut State Police and Stamford Police Department, with the assistance of the Albanian State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.