A Spokane man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for operating a commercial pill press operation that produced fentanyl pills in the Hillyard neighborhood. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice handed down the sentence to Timothy Gary Maddox, 44, who will also serve five years of supervised release after his incarceration.
Court documents and statements made during sentencing revealed that Maddox and co-defendant Nicholas Adams acquired a commercial pill press from China and set up an illicit lab in the basement of Adams’ residence. There, they mixed powder fentanyl with cutting agents to manufacture pills intended for bulk distribution.
In November 2023, law enforcement executed search warrants at several locations, seizing large quantities of fentanyl powder, cutting agents, pill press components, firearms, and an operational pill press. The hazardous conditions inside the lab prompted assistance from the Department of Ecology during the search.
The Drug Enforcement Administration estimated that the seized fentanyl powder was sufficient to produce over two million pills containing lethal doses—enough to potentially kill nearly four times the population of Spokane County.
Authorities also found significant amounts of methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, MDMA, and marijuana at both Maddox’s and Adams’ residences. Both men were armed with multiple loaded firearms including handguns, modified shotguns, AK-type rifles, and body armor. At Maddox’s home, officers discovered a fully automatic machine gun equipped with a “Glock switch,” a loaded drum magazine, and three sets of body armor.
Maddox’s criminal record spans three decades and includes convictions for residential burglary, vehicle theft, domestic violence offenses, assault, drug trafficking, and more. He previously served time on federal drug trafficking charges in 2015 after admitting to being one of Spokane’s largest drug dealers.
While committing these offenses related to pill manufacturing and distribution, Maddox was also involved in violent acts including drive-by shootings targeting occupied homes and vehicles (Spokane County Superior Court Case Number 23-1-10840-32).
“Stopping the production and flow of fentanyl into our communities is one of the most challenging crises we face as law enforcement. This is a matter of importance as it will protect public health. This investigation and prosecution provide a tremendous example of the collaborative approach we take to fighting this serious and ever-increasing threat to our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Serrano. “The volume of fentanyl that this investigation took off the street is truly staggering. I cannot overstate the impact our team made here, by identifying a repeat criminal who was manufacturing vast quantities of this deadly drug while heavily armed. Removing him for decades will protect this community in ways seen and unseen. We want the public to know that these threats exist and that our team is working tirelessly to combat them wherever and whenever they appear.”
“Mr. Maddox is a career criminal who endangered the safety and health of our community with a truly lethal mix of homemade counterfeit fentanyl pills and automatic weapons,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Seattle Field Division. “Mr. Maddox made fentanyl even more dangerous by recklessly mixing substances at home, where he could include anything he chose into his deadly concoctions. Mr. Maddox spent years peddling misery and death for his own enrichment and I am proud that DEA and our partners could put an end to his trafficking with this sentence.”
“HSI Seattle answered the President’s call to confront our nation’s fentanyl crisis head-on by bringing justice in one of Eastern Washington’s largest pill manufacturing cases,” said HSI Seattle Acting Special Agent in Charge Colin Jackson. “With this sentencing, Maddox is held accountable for endangering a residential neighborhood by operating a makeshift narcotics lab that housed enough fentanyl to produce over two million lethal pills. Clearly, Maddox had no regard for public safety and was only out to make a profit. This case underscores HSI’s unwavering dedication to safeguard our communities and protect the well-being of the American people.”
“I am confident that the removal of this significant and lethal amount of fentanyl, other dangerous drugs, and cache of weapons, combined with the equipment used to produce and distribute these deadly pills rapidly, saved lives,” stated Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels. “This is a direct result of the strong partnership between our local law enforcement agencies and our federal colleagues. Together we share the goal of eliminating this destructive poison from our community and ensuring that those who pedal it are held accountable.”
Nicholas Adams remains pending trial scheduled for December 2025.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Regional Anti-Violence Enforcement & Narcotics (RAVEN) Task Force, as well as local police departments.
Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin Baunsgard prosecuted the case.
