SPOKANE, WA – A second Spokane man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his role in operating a commercial fentanyl pill press operation in the Hillyard neighborhood.
According to a Monday press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Nicholas Adams, 37, of Spokane, to 20 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. The sentence stems from Adams’ role in running a fentanyl pill manufacturing operation from his residence.
Federal prosecutors said Adams and co-defendant Timothy Maddox obtained a commercial pill press from China through the mail and set up a pill production operation in the basement of Adams’ home. Investigators said the pair mixed fentanyl powder with cutting agents to manufacture counterfeit pills for distribution in the community.
Search warrants executed at several locations in November 2023 uncovered large quantities of fentanyl powder, cutting agents, pill press components, firearms and an operational commercial pill press. Due to contamination from the manufacturing process, the Washington Department of Ecology assisted authorities during the search of Adams’ residence.
According to calculations by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the amount of fentanyl powder recovered was enough to produce more than two million pills containing a potentially lethal dose. Officials said that quantity could have produced enough fentanyl to kill the entire population of Spokane County nearly four times over.
Investigators also reported that Adams and Maddox possessed methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, MDMA and marijuana during the operation. Multiple loaded firearms were also recovered from their residences, including handguns, modified shotguns and AK-style rifles. Authorities said a firearm equipped with a “Glock switch,” making it capable of fully automatic fire, was also recovered along with a drum magazine and body armor.
Federal officials said Adams had a history of involvement with the criminal justice system dating back more than a decade, including acts of violence and violations of court orders. Prosecutors said he continued using drugs even after being released to attend inpatient treatment following his arrest in this case, which resulted in his return to custody.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Pete Serrano said stopping the production and distribution of fentanyl remains one of the most pressing challenges facing law enforcement.
“The volume of fentanyl that this investigation took off the street is truly staggering,” Serrano said in a statement. “Removing him for decades will protect this community in ways seen and unseen.”
Robert A. Saccone, special agent in charge of the DEA’s Seattle Field Division, said the operation had the capacity to produce millions of lethal fentanyl pills and posed a serious threat to the region.
Homeland Security Investigations Acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller said securing long prison sentences for both defendants helped eliminate one of Eastern Washington’s largest fentanyl pill manufacturing operations.
Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said the case underscores the importance of collaboration between local and federal law enforcement agencies to address dangerous drug trafficking.
Maddox, Adams’ co-conspirator, was previously sentenced to 20 years in prison in connection with the same operation.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Regional Anti-Violence Enforcement and Narcotics (RAVEN) Task Force, and the Spokane Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin Baunsgard.
