A 45-year-old Methuen man was arrested Thursday for allegedly trafficking counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and unlawfully possessing ammunition.
Shawn Hart was charged with distribution of, and possession with intent to, distribute fentanyl and being a felon in possession of ammunition. He appeared in federal court.
According to court documents, Hart was identified last August as a manufacturer and distributor of counterfeit pills. Last Sept. 15, he allegedly sold approximately 500 counterfeit Adderall pills, containing 68 grams of fentanyl, during a controlled purchase in North Billerica. Additionally, this past June 1, Hart allegedly sold approximately 100 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing suspected fentanyl and well as a 9mm privately manufactured firearm, known as a “ghost gun,” containing 19 rounds of ammunition during a controlled purchase at his Methuen home.
Police said three additional firearms, a pill press used for manufacturing counterfeit pills and suspected narcotics in various forms and quantities were taken from Hart’s home after his arrest.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy’s office said in a press release Hart is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to multiple previous state felony convictions, including possession with intent to distribute a class a controlled substance in December 2003; armed robbery in June 2004, for which he was sentenced to two years in prison; masked armed robbery, breaking and entering a vehicle at night and larceny in August 2004, for which he was sentenced to two years in prison; and assault and battery on a correctional institution guard in September 2004, for which he was sentenced to six months in prison.