A Stafford man, Thomas Lee Smith Jr., 35, has been sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Smith played a key role in supplying counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with the deadly drug.
Court records show that between February 2023 and January 2024, Smith obtained thousands of counterfeit pills imprinted with “M30,” often mistaken for oxycodone but actually containing fentanyl. These pills were distributed through partners, including 37-year-old Shane Darontae Anderson. The drugs were sourced from a cartel-linked supplier in Arizona.
One of the major moments in the case came when Anderson sold or agreed to sell over 17,500 of these counterfeit pills to a cooperating source (CS), totaling about 1,500 grams. Smith was the supplier for these transactions, even driving Anderson to several controlled buys. Smith’s car, which Anderson used in a deal, had a trap compartment for hiding drugs.
In January 2024, Smith and Anderson planned to sell another 4,500 counterfeit pills to the same CS for $8,000. However, the plan went awry when law enforcement arrested both men in Stafford as they tried to flee the meeting spot. A search of Smith’s vehicle revealed nearly 5,000 counterfeit pills and a loaded handgun.
Anderson pleaded guilty earlier this year and was sentenced to 10 years and five months in prison on September 5.