Man pleading guilty to dealing fake pills that contained fentanyl

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - A man has entered a plea agreement in a federal drug case in Green Bay involving the sale of counterfeit pills.

As part of the deal, Zandrell Besaw is pleading guilty to one count in the five-count indictment.

Besaw is scheduled to appear in federal court in Green Bay Friday for the plea hearing.

A document obtained by Action 2 News states Besaw is pleading guilty to knowingly and intentionally distributing 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing the powerful opioid fentanyl.

In March 2022, a confidential informant tipped off law enforcement that Besaw was selling pills. Over the course of several months, the informant conducted several controlled buys of counterfeit fentanyl pills.

On March 30, the CI arranged to buy about 50 Percocet pills from Besaw for $350. Police seized those pills and found they tested positive for the presence of fentanyl.

In May there were subsequent confidential informant buys of pills that were presented as Percocet by tested positive for fentanyl. In a buy on May 17, Besaw’s six-year-old daughter was in the vehicle at the time of the intersection with the CI.

Officers arrested Besaw and searched his home.

Besaw admitted to selling the pills for $10-to-$20 per pill. He claimed that he believed the pills were Percocet but admitted he “heard through the grapevine” that the pills contained fentanyl.

During the search of Besaw’s home, officers found about 400 additional fentanyl pills.

Besaw has agreed to plead guilty to the charge and faces five-to-40 years in federal prison.

Four other counts were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.