A 59-year-old man from Auburn, Washington, was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for operating a fentanyl pill manufacturing lab out of his garage. Johnny Elias was arrested in November 2024 after law enforcement discovered he had purchased an industrial pill press and was producing fentanyl pills for distribution.
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart addressed Elias’s background and actions, stating, “You were a counselor to at-risk youth and at the same time were engaged in a practice that was killing one to two young people each day…. These are not recreational drugs. They are basically – in the case of fentanyl – a murder weapon.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller commented on the case: “This defendant claimed to be operating a vitamin manufacturing business, when in fact he was manufacturing potentially deadly fentanyl pills. To protect his drug business, he possessed two loaded handguns and a loaded rifle. Those firearms and his $16,000 pill manufacturing machine are being forfeited to the government.”
David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Seattle Field Division, highlighted the risks associated with Elias’s activities: “The deadly nature of the four kilograms of fentanyl powder that Mr. Elias was manufacturing into pills is easy to count: It could have yielded over 300,000 lethal doses. Mr. Elias clearly knew the dangers of his scheme and took steps to protect himself from overdose and violence, callously disregarding these dangers he foisted on others. I am proud that DEA and our partners could protect our community from him and this sentence ensures that he will not threaten our health and safety for a long time.”
According to court records, Elias operated under the name ‘Bodacious Vitamins LLC’ from October 2023 to September 2024 using proceeds from drug sales to purchase equipment for making counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and heroin. When agents raided his home on November 18, 2024, they found four kilograms of blue fentanyl powder along with manufactured pills and packaging materials used for distribution. Narcan was also found at the scene.
Elias pleaded guilty in March 2025 to possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture and distribute, unlawful possession of firearms, and money laundering.
Prosecutor Max Shiner wrote in support of a longer sentence: “Johnny Elias distributed kilogram quantities of fentanyl pills and worked his way up to having a functioning pill press operation in which he could use fentanyl powder and cutting agents to produce thousands of counterfeit M30 Oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl for distribution throughout Western Washington…. The possession of firearms in connection with his drug trafficking greatly increases the severity of the offense. Like his possession of Narcan at his basement drug lab, Elias’ possession of firearms shows his awareness of the dangerousness of his drug dealing.”
Following release from prison, Judge Robart ordered Elias be placed on four years supervised release.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Max Shiner.
