eBay to pay $59M after DOJ ties pill press sales to fentanyl drug rings
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eBay has agreed to pay $59 million after the US Department of Justice accused the online marketplace of selling thousands of pill presses and encapsulating machines, some of which were used by rings trafficking in illegal counterfeit pills.
It's the fourth largest settlement under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and the first-ever settlement with an e-commerce company, a DOJ press release noted.
Through its website, eBay made it easy for individuals across the country to obtain the type of dangerous machines that are often used to make counterfeit pills," Nikolas Kerest, US attorney for the District of Vermont, said. "Our investigation revealed that some of these machines were even sold to individuals who were later convicted of drug-related crimes."