SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Jamar Deontae Barnes, 42, of Stockton, admitted Tuesday to his role in a conspiracy to manufacture and distribute counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other drugs, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Barnes also pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine-laced pills.
Court documents reveal that from September 2015 to May 2019, Barnes collaborated with his twin brother, Jamaine Dontae Barnes, and others to produce thousands of counterfeit pills designed to resemble legitimate prescription medications. Using pill press machines, the group manufactured pills laced with fentanyl, furanyl fentanyl, heroin, and other synthetic opioids, as well as methamphetamine pills disguised as Ecstasy. During a May 2019 search of Barnes’ Stockton residence, law enforcement seized a pill press machine, powders, and pills containing methamphetamine and furanyl fentanyl.
Barnes’ guilty plea comes as part of an extensive federal investigation into the drug ring. Nine other defendants connected to the operation have also pleaded guilty. Sentencing for Barnes is scheduled for March 3, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd. He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison, with the possibility of a life sentence.
The investigation involved numerous agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, and local and state law enforcement partners. The case was part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative, which targets the most significant criminal organizations threatening the United States.