A Spokane man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for operating a commercial pill press operation that produced large quantities of fentanyl pills. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice handed down the sentence to Timothy Gary Maddox, 44, who will also serve five years of supervised release after his incarceration.
Court documents and information from the sentencing hearing show that Maddox and co-defendant Nicholas Adams acquired a commercial pill press from China and established a “pill mill” in the basement of Adams’ residence in Spokane’s Hillyard neighborhood. They mixed fentanyl powder with cutting agents to manufacture counterfeit pills for bulk distribution.
Law enforcement executed search warrants at several locations in November 2023, recovering significant amounts of fentanyl powder, pill press equipment, firearms, and other drug paraphernalia. The Department of Ecology assisted due to hazardous contamination caused by the operation.
The Drug Enforcement Administration estimated that the amount of fentanyl powder seized could have produced over two million pills containing lethal doses—enough to kill nearly four times the population of Spokane County.
In addition to fentanyl production, Maddox and Adams were found with methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, MDMA, marijuana, and multiple loaded firearms—including handguns, modified shotguns, AK-type rifles, a fully automatic machine gun equipped with a “Glock switch,” and body armor.
Maddox’s criminal record spans three decades and includes convictions for burglary, vehicle theft, domestic violence offenses, assault, drug trafficking, and more. He previously served time on federal drug trafficking charges in 2015. His history also includes drive-by shootings during the period he was running the pill operation (Spokane County Superior Court Case Number 23-1-10840-32).
“Stopping the production and flow of fentanyl into our communities is one of the most challenging crises we face as law enforcement. This is a matter of importance as it will protect public health. This investigation and prosecution provide a tremendous example of the collaborative approach we take to fighting this serious and ever-increasing threat to our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Serrano. “The volume of fentanyl that this investigation took off the street is truly staggering. I cannot overstate the impact our team made here, by identifying a repeat criminal who was manufacturing vast quantities of this deadly drug while heavily armed. Removing him for decades will protect this community in ways seen and unseen. We want the public to know that these threats exist and that our team is working tirelessly to combat them wherever and whenever they appear.”
“Mr. Maddox is a career criminal who endangered the safety and health of our community with a truly lethal mix of homemade counterfeit fentanyl pills and automatic weapons,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Seattle Field Division. “Mr. Maddox made fentanyl even more dangerous by recklessly mixing substances at home, where he could include anything he chose into his deadly concoctions. Mr. Maddox spent years peddling misery and death for his own enrichment and I am proud that DEA and our partners could put an end to his trafficking with this sentence.”
“HSI Seattle answered the President’s call to confront our nation’s fentanyl crisis head-on by bringing justice in one of Eastern Washington’s largest pill manufacturing cases,” said HSI Seattle Acting Special Agent in Charge Colin Jackson. “With this sentencing, Maddox is held accountable for endangering a residential neighborhood by operating a makeshift narcotics lab that housed enough fentanyl to produce over two million lethal pills. Clearly, Maddox had no regard for public safety and was only out to make a profit. This case underscores HSI’s unwavering dedication to safeguard our communities and protect the well-being of the American people.”
“I am confident that the removal of this significant and lethal amount of fentanyl, other dangerous drugs, and cache of weapons, combined with the equipment used to produce and distribute these deadly pills rapidly, saved lives,” stated Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels. “This is a direct result of the strong partnership between our local law enforcement agencies and our federal colleagues. Together, we share the goal of eliminating this destructive poison from our community and ensuring that those who pedal it are held accountable.”
Adams awaits trial scheduled for December 2025.
The case was investigated by several agencies including Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Regional Anti-Violence Enforcement & Narcotics (RAVEN) Task Force, as well as local police departments; prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin Baunsgard.
