Battle Creek Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Intending to Sell Fentanyl

Carmouche-Heath possessed over 1 kilogram of fentanyl, including over 4,700 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN - U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Nazzarie Acoy Carmouche-Heath, 29, of Battle Creek, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for possessing and intending to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl.

U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey said, "Prosecuting fentanyl dealers is always a priority for my office because this drug is particularly deadly. It is easy for casual drug users to overdose on this drug, especially when it is disguised as some other controlled substance like it was here. The DEA and the Battle Creek Police Department saved a lot of lives when they seized Carmouche-Heath's drug stash."

During a search of Carmouche-Heath's Battle Creek residence in March 2025, officers found over 1 kilogram of fentanyl, two firearms, thousands of dollars of cash, and what appeared to be an area designed to manufacture counterfeit fentanyl pills in the basement, which included scales, trays, packaging material, a blender, Tupperware sifters, a pill press, and cutting agents. Officers found 4,714 blue pills designed to look like the opioid analgesic Oxycodone (M/30), but in fact, contained fentanyl. During an interview, Carmouche-Heath admitted he possessed the fentanyl and intended to sell it. Carmouche-Heath previously pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl on August 21 2025, which was National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day.

"This sentencing underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting our communities from the deadly threat of fentanyl," said Special Agent in Charge Joseph O. Dixon. "We will be relentless in our pursuit of those who peddle this and other illicit poisons. With every resource and law enforcement partner, the DEA will continue to protect and save American lives."

Counterfeit pills are fake medications that have different ingredients than the actual medication. They may contain no active ingredient, the wrong active ingredient, or have the right ingredient but in an incorrect quantity. Counterfeit pills may contain lethal amounts of fentanyl and are extremely dangerous because they often appear identical to legitimate prescription pills, and the user is likely unaware of what the pills contain.

For more information on counterfeit pills and they dangers they pose, see this Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Fact Sheet and the DEA's One Pill Can Kill website, https://www.dea.gov/onepill.

DEA and BCPD investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan McGraw prosecuted it.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines the efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).