Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A Saugus man has pleaded guilty to federal charges related to trafficking methamphetamine-laced pills that were marketed as Adderall. Marcus Holder, also known as “Heartless,” age 30, admitted in federal court to two counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Sentencing is set for December 11, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton.
Holder was identified as a member of the Asian Boyz gang and participated in a network distributing homemade methamphetamine pills designed to look like legitimate Adderall tablets. On two occasions in September and October 2022, Holder delivered 1,000 counterfeit “Adderall” pills to fellow gang member Bill Phim, known as “Bonez,” who then sold them to an undercover officer. Chemical analysis confirmed that the pills contained methamphetamine and caffeine rather than Adderall.
In May 2025, Phim received a sentence of ten years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
The statutory penalties for possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine include a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to forty years in prison, at least four years and up to life on supervised release, and fines up to $5 million.
“U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Superintendent Gregory C. Hudon of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Billerica, Haverhill, North Andover and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.”
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and community organizations across all levels. The Department’s updated violent crime reduction strategy emphasizes building trust within communities, supporting prevention efforts led by local organizations, focusing enforcement priorities strategically, and tracking outcomes. More details about PSN can be found at https://www.justice.gov/PSN.
Additionally, this case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation—a coordinated effort using intelligence-driven strategies across multiple agencies to target major criminal groups involved in drug trafficking nationwide. Information about OCDETF is available at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
