United States Drug Enforcement Administration

SEATTLE – A 59-year-old Auburn, Washington man was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 11 years in prison for his fentanyl trafficking activities, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Johnny Elias was arrested in November 2024. Earlier in the year, law enforcement learned that Elias was purchasing drugs including fentanyl from another target of investigation and later determined he had purchased an industrial pill press, intending to manufacture fentanyl pills for greater profit.

At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said, “You were a counselor to at-risk youth and at the same time were engaged in a practice that was killing one to two young people each day…. These are not recreational drugs. They are basically – in the case of fentanyl – a murder weapon.”

“The deadly nature of the four kilograms of fentanyl powder that Mr. Elias was manufacturing into pills is easy to count:  It could have yielded over 300,000 lethal doses,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Mr. Elias clearly knew the dangers of his scheme and took steps to protect himself from overdose and violence, callously disregarding these dangers he foisted on others. I am proud that DEA and our partners could protect our community from him and this sentence ensures that he will not threaten our health and safety for a long time.”

“This defendant claimed to be operating a vitamin manufacturing business, when in fact he was manufacturing potentially deadly fentanyl pills,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “To protect his drug business, he possessed two loaded handguns and a loaded rifle. Those firearms and his $16,000 pill manufacturing machine are being forfeited to the government.”

According to records filed in the case, from at least October 2023 to September 2024, Elias was on the radar of law enforcement as a drug trafficker. The investigation revealed that he had set up a company called ‘Bodacious Vitamins LLC’ out of his Auburn address. Using some of his drug dealing proceeds, Elias purchased an industrial grade pill press for over $16,000. On

November 18,2024, Drug Enforcement Administration agents raided Elias’s residence and found the garage had been converted to a pill manufacturing lab. In addition to the pill press, agents found four kilograms of blue fentanyl powder as well as manufactured pills containing fentanyl and heroin. The lab contained items such as scales and baggies for packaging drugs for sale. Elias also had Narcan – an overdose reversal medication – indicating he knew the danger of the fentanyl he was processing into pills.

In March 2025, Elias pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture and distribute, unlawful possession of firearms, and money laundering.

In asking for a 15-year prison sentence, Prosecutor Max Shiner wrote to the court, “Johnny Elias distributed kilogram quantities of fentanyl pills and worked his way up to having a functioning pill press operation in which he could use fentanyl powder and cutting agents to produce thousands of counterfeit M30 Oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl for distribution throughout Western Washington…. The possession of firearms in connection with his drug trafficking greatly increases the severity of the offense. Like his possession of Narcan at his basement drug lab, Elias’ possession of firearms shows his awareness of the dangerousness of his drug dealing.”

Judge Robart ordered Elias to be on four years of supervised release following sentencing.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Max Shiner.