A Lowell man, Anthony Bryson, has been sentenced to nine years in prison for his involvement in a drug trafficking organization that distributed counterfeit prescription pills. The sentencing was delivered by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV on May 5, 2025. Following his prison term, Bryson will undergo four years of supervised release.
In July 2024, Bryson pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine. He was among 27 individuals charged since October 2022 in connection with the conspiracy led by brothers Christopher Nagle and Lawrence Michael Nagle. This organization distributed significant quantities of counterfeit oxycodone and Adderall pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Between January and October 2022, Bryson played a substantial role in distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl to redistributors and users. Intercepted communications showed he was responsible for distributing over 11,000 methamphetamine pills along with fentanyl and oxycodone pills within two months. These communications also revealed his awareness of the dangers associated with these drugs.
The investigation led to the seizure of more than 74,000 counterfeit prescription pills containing deadly narcotics. In August 2024, Christopher Nagle received an eleven-year prison sentence after pleading guilty. Lawrence Michael Nagle is scheduled for sentencing on August 5, 2025.
The announcement came from United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA New England Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble of the Massachusetts State Police. Several local police departments provided assistance in this case prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys K. Nathaniel Yeager, Samuel R. Feldman, Ann Taylor, John O. Wray, and Alexandra Amrhein.
This operation is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), which targets high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States through a collaborative approach involving multiple agencies.