From Garage Band to Drug Lab: Auburn Man’s Wild Ride Ends in Prison

In a bizarre twist that could easily be the plot of a made-for-TV movie, Johnny Elias—a 59-year-old from Auburn—has been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for running a fentanyl pill lab right out of his garage. Yes, you heard that right. Instead of a car restoration project or a quirky DIY workspace, Elias turned his garage into a mini drug factory using a shell company named Bodacious Vitamins LLC as cover. Apparently, he was aiming to deliver “wellness” in all the wrong ways.

The bust came after a lengthy investigation that revealed he was knee-deep in drug trafficking and had even splurged over $16,000 on an industrial-grade pill press. When DEA agents finally raided his home, they found not just drugs—there were also firearms and packaging materials stashed alongside the illicit goodies. You have to wonder: Did Elias think he could get away with this? Spoiler alert: he didn’t.

As if churning out potentially 300,000 lethal doses of fentanyl wasn’t enough, this guy took the added precaution of having firearms on hand. It’s amusing to think of someone so ill-advised in a literal sense, yet it’s also a good reminder that bad decisions can lead to very real consequences. What are some of the wildest things you’ve heard about regular folks turning into criminal masterminds? Let’s hear your thoughts!

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