Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A Cambridge man has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to the large-scale manufacture of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine. Schuyler Oppenheimer, also known as “SK” and “Michael Sylvain,” admitted to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and two counts of wire fraud.
Oppenheimer, 35, was arrested in July 2025 and indicted the following month. Sentencing is scheduled for April 17, 2026 before U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV.
According to court documents, Oppenheimer was skilled in chemical synthesis techniques used for producing fentanyl and compounding controlled substances into counterfeit pills. Authorities seized recipes, pill press molds, documents, invoices showing purchases of pill presses from online vendors, and multiple packages shipped from China containing pill press parts addressed to Oppenheimer or his associates.
Investigators found that since 2019, Oppenheimer obtained over 200 kilograms of filler powders used in making pills. Recipes recovered indicated this quantity could produce millions of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Oppenheimer also communicated directly with an illegal chemical supplier based in China about obtaining controlled substances and precursor chemicals necessary for synthesizing fentanyl. He sought kilogram quantities of these chemicals for production within the United States.
Additionally, he obtained over $40,000 through fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan applications submitted in April 2021 by providing false statements about his self-employment income for tax year 2019 and submitting falsified tax return documents.
During a search warrant execution on Parker Street in Cambridge on July 18, 2024, authorities recovered more than five kilograms of suspected counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine as well as a loaded firearm. Due to prior felony convictions, Oppenheimer is prohibited from possessing firearms.
The charge related to possession with intent to distribute carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years up to life imprisonment along with supervised release terms and substantial fines. The wire fraud charges carry potential penalties including up to twenty years’ imprisonment per count.
"U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Jennifer B. De La O, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today."
Valuable assistance was provided by the Cambridge Police Department during this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard is prosecuting the case.
