Man Busted With 20,000 Rainbow Fentanyl Pills In Manhattan, Released

A man was arrested on Friday in possession of “rainbow” fentanyl pills in the trendy Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. Manuel Pagan, 49, was busted around 2 p.m. with a huge stash of multicolored M-30 fentanyl pills at 11th Avenue and West 30th Street.

According to the New York Post, Pagan was later released onto the streets of the Big Apple without bail. Manhattan Judge James Clyne was the deciding jurist who released Pagan from custody on condition of supervised release, despite a request from the city’s Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor to have the suspect held on $100,000 cash bail or a $250,000 cash bond at his arraignment.

The brightly colored fentanyl pills have been recently making their way around the market specifically targeted for younger people. Back in September, authorities in Connecticut found a stash of fentanyl that was concealed in candy packages of Skittles and Nerds. Just last month, some 15,000 rainbow fentanyl pills were found by a Manhattan Drug Enforcement Agency task force stashed in a Lego toy set. Prior to Halloween, authorities alerted consumers that drug dealers were disguising fentanyl to appear as candy. Customs and Border Protection Data (CBP) revealed that around 12,900lbs of fentanyl has been seized this year in the run-up to August and has been circulated in all 21 states across the U.S.

Pagan was charged with two felony counts, one for criminal possession of a controlled substance with distribution intent, and the other for possession of more than eight ounces of narcotics. He is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 15 and is free to roam the streets provided he does regular check-ins with the police.

This is not a first for Clyne as he also freed a 64-year-old homeless man without bail last year even with the knowledge that the suspect was on a 36-hour crime spree prior to his arrest. The suspect allegedly even held a train passenger at knifepoint after stealing the commuter’s backpack. Upon his arrest, the suspect boasted to the cops, “ I know I’m getting out. I have no record.” Sure enough, Clyne freed him only under the condition of a supervised release.

This year, the state legislature made changes to the criminal justice reform bill which was implemented in 2020. The law states criminal possession of a controlled substance is now a bailable offense.