Green Bay men convicted of dealing “fake Percocet” fentanyl pills

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - A federal jury has convicted two Green Bay men for dealing fentanyl disguised as Percocet pills

Don A.K. James, Jr., 24, and Frederick L. Brewer, 34, were found guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Possessing Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute, and Distributing Fentanyl.

In January and February of 2022, Brewer sold fentanyl pills to an informant working with the Brown County Drug Task Force, according to federal prosecutors.

“The potentially lethal pills had been illicitly manufactured to resemble Percocet,” prosecutors said.

After Brewer was arrested, investigators learned that Brewer’s brother, Don A.K. James, had flown to Arizona last January to buy 15,000 fake Percocet pills containing fentanyl.

“While there, he sent a video to a large-scale buyer in the Green Bay area--the video showed that James had at least 19,000 pills to distribute,” reads a statement from prosecutors.

James flew back to Wisconsin and “boasted to the buyer” that he had 30,000 fentanyl pills and “was ready to do business.”

Brewer assisted James in the drug trafficking operation.

“When James was arrested, he attempted to swallow a bag of 58 fentanyl pills,” prosecutors say. “After a several-minute struggle, during which DTF investigators administered Narcan to protect James against a potential overdose, they forced James to spit out the still-intact bag.”

James believed he had swallowed two pills and asked for medical help. An ambulance transported James to the hospital. He later posted bail and was released.

In June 2022, James was found in possession of over 750 fentanyl pills with the intent to distribute.

James and Brewer will be sentenced in a federal courtroom in Green Bay in May.

James faces a sentence of 10 years to life in prison. He has multiple prior convictions.

Brewer faces up to 30 years in prison. He has prior felony drug convictions.

This case was investigated by the Brown County Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tim Funnell and Alex Duros.