A Battle Creek man has pleaded guilty to possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, according to an announcement from the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, Timothy VerHey. Nazzarie Carmouche-Heath, 29, entered his plea on August 21, which coincided with National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day. He is scheduled for sentencing on December 4, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison, with a maximum possible sentence of life.
U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey stated: “I hope everyone knows by now how deadly fentanyl is. Our office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute the drug dealers who sell it. We especially look for cases like this, where the fentanyl was disguised as legitimate medication, a situation that can lead to accidental overdoses by the unsuspecting.”
Court documents indicate that Carmouche-Heath admitted to possessing over 470 grams of fentanyl in pill form at his Battle Creek residence in March 2025. The pills were made to resemble Oxycodone (M/30). In addition, he possessed more than 600 grams of powdered fentanyl and two firearms located near the drugs.
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Derek Ress commented: “Our country continues to be plagued by fentanyl poisonings caused by these counterfeit pills. This defendant entered his guilty plea on August 21, which is National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day. Our communities can rejoice in taking another piece of this deadly drug trade off the streets, which will prevent future potential overdoses and tragedy. DEA’s strategic partnerships with the Battle Creek Police Department (BCPD) and other law enforcement agencies are instrumental in stopping this nationwide threat.”
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and BCPD, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan McGraw is handling prosecution.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America, a federal initiative that coordinates resources from multiple agencies including the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), aiming to combat illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and address violent crime.
