MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WFRV) – A Green Bay woman convicted of distributing fentanyl disguised as Percocet was sentenced to multiple years behind bars on Monday.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, 20-year-old Marianna KJ Zimmer was sentenced to eight years behind bars after pleading guilty to gun and drug charges. She will be on supervised release for eight years following her time in prison.

Court records show that in August 2022, while Zimmer was on probation for a prior felony conviction, Wisconsin probation agents arrested Zimmer and learned that from jail, she was directing a friend to hide and destroy evidence of Zimmer’s fentanyl trafficking.

Probation agents, along with the Brown County Drug Task Force, successfully recovered and seized over 8,400 fake Percocet pills containing fentanyl, over $38,500 in U.S. Currency, and a stolen and loaded .45-caliber pistol.

The fentanyl was in the form of blue pills imprinted with “M30” to mimic the legitimate prescription drug Percocet. Officials say that counterfeit “M30” pills are commonly made by Mexican drug cartels and smuggled into the United States.

During Zimmer’s sentencing, Judge William Griesbach stressed that Zimmer’s fentanyl dealing and unlawful firearm possession were serious offenses that presented a danger to the public, warranting a significant punishment and a strong deterrent message to others.

Judge Griesbach also said that Zimmer’s offense was aggravated because she posted numerous images and videos of herself on Facebook, in which she glamorized the life of a drug dealer, posing with large amounts of cash that she made by distributing drugs.

Legitimate Percocet contains oxycodone and acetaminophen but not fentanyl. Like fentanyl, oxycodone is a Schedule II controlled substance that can be highly addictive and abused, but fentanyl is far more dangerous.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), 60% of counterfeit Percocet pills tested in 2022 had a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl, up from 40% in 2021.

The DEA has issued a Public Safety Alert on the opioid crisis involving fentanyl. Those interested in reading the full statement can click here.

This case was investigated by the Brown County Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration.