Fake Xanax tablets accused from Tipton pleads guilty

A man accused of manufacturing counterfeit Xanax pills purportedly destined for the United States has pleaded guilty.

After Lee Lloyd changed his plea to six charges, prosecutors dropped the case against one of his co-defendants.

Lloyd, 47, along with Brayden Roper, Samantha Gibbons and Jordan Pitts were due to stand trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court for their role in making millions of fake Xanax pills that were allegedly made for sale on the dark web.

But charges against Gibbons, 44, of Beebe Road, Wednesbury, were dropped after Lloyd, of Shakespeare Road, Tipton, admitted the charges.

Lloyd pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to supply a Class C drug, namely alprazolam, a drug sold under the brand name Xanax to treat anxiety and panic disorders.

He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit unauthorized trademark infringement in connection with Xanax.

He also pleaded guilty to one count of transferring criminal property and two counts of Value Added Tax (VAT) fraud, also known as money laundering.

Judge John Butterworth adjourned Lloyd’s trial after he changed his plea and was released, but told him he must abide by his bail conditions until sentencing.

The prosecution then informed Judge Butterworth that Lloyd’s change of plea meant that there was no evidence to present in the case against Samantha Gibbons and so the judge would accept an acquittal in respect of her.

The trial will now turn to two co-defendants, Brayden Roper, 24, of Powis Avenue, Tipton, and Jordan Pitts, 25, of Hickman Road, Tipton.

The jury was selected and seated Wednesday, but prosecutors will not make opening statements until Friday as they review their own case following the verdict against Gibbons.

Seven other defendants have already pleaded guilty to a range of related charges, including conspiracy to supply Class C drugs and money laundering.

Xanax is a powerful tranquilizer used to treat anxiety and panic attacks, but is not available on the NHS.

However, it is available by private prescription in the UK and is widely prescribed in the US, where counterfeit versions are available on the black market.

He said “most of the deaths” were caused by counterfeit Xanax.

“These deaths are just the tip of a very large iceberg,” he said.

In 2018, the BBC discovered that children as young as 11 were being treated in ambulances after taking counterfeit Xanax.