Former Sailors Plead Guilty to Selling Deadly Counterfeit Pills

Two ex-sailors admitted selling fentanyl-laced pills to U.S. Navy servicemembers, resulting in a fatal overdose.

In federal court, former sailors Bailey A. Szramowski and Johnnese H. Poomaihealani pleaded guilty to selling counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl to active-duty U.S. Navy servicemembers. The transactions took place in San Diego and included sales during deployments. This case came to light when Szramowski provided 10 fake oxycodone pills to a sailor aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in December 2022. Tragically, the sailor, referred to as A.N., overdosed and died from acute fentanyl intoxication in January 2023.