HOUSTON – A suspected drug lab raid in northwest Houston landed four men in jail Monday night.
Investigators believe they were making pills that looked like Xanax or Adderall and lacing them with deadly fentanyl.
The business on Sussex Lane near Gessner Road has a food truck parked out front and signs that say it’s a slingshot, or three-wheeled motorcycle, rental business.
“These things are extremely dangerous to the community,” Texas DPS Lt. Craig Cummings said. “They were making pills with the intent to distribute them into the community.”
During the raid, investigators found about 17 pounds of the chemicals used to make fentanyl. They also seized three pill press machines and more than three pounds of fake Xanax and Adderall pills believed to be laced with fentanyl. The Adderall pills were also believed to contain methamphetamine, according to DPS.
“The end product is a pill that looks just like what you would get at a pharmacy,” Lt. Cummings said. “An individual takes fentanyl and there may not be enough time to call 911 to get help... it’s just that deadly of a chemical.”
The raid also recovered more than four pounds of cocaine, 44 pounds of hydro marijuana, four guns, and a stolen car, according to DPS.
“Each opportunity that we get to take down a place like this is a success,” Lt. Cummings said. “We are out here addressing this crisis that affects Harris county and Texas at large.”
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, killed 1,672 Texans in 2021, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
Police arrested four men in connection to the suspected drug lab. Court records show all four have a previous criminal record in Harris County.
Stanley Keith Williams, 57, was charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance with a bond set at $70,000. Gary Wayne Odoms, 53, was charged with tampering with a government record. James Earl Williams, 62, was charged with possession of a controlled substance. Keith Boxhill,45, was charged with evading arrest and tampering with evidence.
Boxhill, who also goes by Keith Hill, according to court records, fled during the investigation, Lt. Cummings said.
According to jail records, all four men have bonded out of jail.
For the last year-and-a-half, Virgil Thomas has lived across the street from the suspected drug lab and thought something didn’t add up.
“You got a food truck that never goes anywhere, they never sold food, and they don’t rent very many of those vehicles, so you can’t possibly be making any money,” he said. “In and out traffic all the time, all hours of the night.”
He said Sundays brought the most activity to the neighborhood.
“I’m overjoyed because it’s going to be a lot quieter around here,” he said.
According to Lt. Cummings, a lot of these operations may appear to be a regular business but it’s the activity in or around them that may indicate something else is going on.
If you suspect anything suspicious, you can report it anonymously with photos using the iWatchTexas iPhone or Android app or website.