Authorities confiscate 7,400 pills, break up Westmoreland counterfeit pill supply chain

A suspected cross-country supplier of counterfeit pills containing deadly opioid fentanyl was jailed Friday in the largest bust of its kind in Westmoreland County, according to court papers.

Police said they confiscated from an East Huntingdon home 7,400 pills designed to look like legitimate OxyContin but lab testing showed they contained fentanyl, said county detective Tony Marcocci. The Drug Enforcement Administration issued a warning last year of an increase in seizures of counterfeit pills nationwide.

Being held at the Westmoreland County Prison on drug charges Friday were Jack B. Weinman and Marissa L. Tucibat, both 21.

Marcocci said investigators believe Weinman was sourcing the counterfeit pills from California and shipping them to Westmoreland County. The pair was arrested in California and extradited.

Counterfeit pills can be created by large drug networks or anyone who has access to a pill press, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. They can resemble Oxycontin, Xanax or other legitimate drugs and then be sold online or through dealers.

Fentanyl is an opioid deadlier than heroin and has been the top killer in fatal Westmoreland County drug overdoses since 2016, according to coroner statistics. In 2021, it contributed to 137 of the 168 deaths.

Marcocci and Penn Township Detective Brad Buchsbaum spent months conducting controlled purchases of pills and other drugs from Weinman through a confidential informant at locations in Mt. Pleasant Township, East Huntingdon and Scottdale, according to court papers. Lab reports showed that the pills were fake, containing fentanyl and other controlled substances while appearing as legitimate prescription medication, police said.

Tucibat was present for one of the deals, according to court papers. During a search of their room, police said they found the 7,400 pills containing fentanyl and another 960 that were created to look like Xanax, as well as $4,000. The Xanax lookalikes contained another controlled substance.

Marcocci said the pills sell for $25 each locally. Counterfeit pills have been increasing locally over the last two years.

“It’s a way dealers have found to entice and encourage individuals to use an illicit drug that will addict them immediately,” he said.

Weinman and Tucibat did not have attorneys listed in online court records. His bail was set at $100,000 and she was being held on $50,000 bail. Preliminary hearings are set for July 13.