Battle Creek Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

Guilty Plea Entered on National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day

GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey announced that Nazzarie Carmouche-Heath, 29, of Battle Creek, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Carmouche-Heath is scheduled to be sentenced on December 4, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.

“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.” said U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey.

In pleading guilty, Carmouche-Heath admitted that in March 2025, at his residence in Battle Creek, he possessed and intended to sell 4,714 blue pills, which were designed to look like the opioid analgesic Oxycodone (M/30), but in fact contained fentanyl, weighing over 470 grams. Carmouche-Heathe also possessed and intended to sell over 600 grams of fentanyl in powder form. He also possessed two firearms found near the fentanyl stash. According to court documents, Carmouche-Heath pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

“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,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Derek Ress.

DEA and BCPD are investigating this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan McGraw is prosecuting it.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiate that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs,) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).