D.A. warns of ’emerging trend’ of counterfeit Adderall made of meth circulating in Suffolk

Counterfeit prescription pills made of other illicit substances including methamphetamine and fentanyl are circulating in Suffolk County, District Attorney Tim Sini warned yesterday.

“This is an extremely alarming trend that can put users’ lives at risk,” Sini said at a press conference yesterday afternoon.

“Anytime a substance is branded for illicit sale as something other than what it is, it poses severe safety risks,” Sini said.

Law enforcement officers in Suffolk have observed an emerging trend of methamphetamine being pressed into pills and marketed as Adderall, Sini said. They have also observed fentanyl being pressed and marketed as subscription pills such as Oxycodone, over the past several years.

“The unintended ingestion of meth or fentanyl to an unsuspecting user can easily be fatal, which is why we’re sounding the alarm and letting residents know that these pills are already in circulation in our area.”

The district attorney said he wants substance users to be aware that these substances are being sold in our area and anytime someone illegally purchases purported prescription pills, they are putting their life at risk.

“To anyone peddling this poison in Suffolk County: We will come for you, we will arrest you, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law, including the potential for homicide charges against anyone selling drugs who causes a fatal overdose,” Sini said.

Suffolk Police on Friday arrested two Lindenhurst men after officers during a traffic stop recovered various controlled substances from the vehicle, including pills resembling Adderall that were actually methamphetamine, Sini said.

On Wednesday, following an investigation by the district attorney’s office and the Suffolk County Police Department’s narcotics section, police arrested a Mastic man for the sale of fentanyl pressed as pills marketed as Oxycodone.

Last month, the district attorney announced the guilty plea of a former NYPD officer to second-degree manslaughter and other charges for selling fentanyl pills marketed as Oxycodone and causing the fatal overdose of a victim in 2019.

“We have seen other parts of the country ravaged by the use of methamphetamines, whereas Suffolk County has largely been spared that tragedy,” Sini said. “However, with these pills seized Friday, this is something law enforcement is very concerned about and keeping a close eye on.”

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Division announced this week that methamphetamine pressed as Adderall pills have been seized recently in locations across New Hampshire. The DEA attributed the source of these pills to Mexican drug cartels, who are manufacturing the pills in an attempt to get young people addicted to methamphetamine.

“Adderall is a prescription medication used to treat attention deficit disorders and is primarily prescribed to younger individuals,” Sini said. “Similarly, people who purchase black market Adderall for recreational use tend to be younger, so our warning here today is not just for the individuals using these substances, but also for parents to please share this warning with your teens and older children.”

Anyone struggling with substance use is encouraged to call the Long Island Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence (“LICADD”) 24-hour hotline at 631-979-1700 or the Family Service League’s Diagnostic, Assessment and Stabilization Hub (“DASH”) at 631-952-3333, the D.A. said.