MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — A Hagerstown, Maryland, man has been sentenced to 210 months, or 17 years and six months, in federal prison for his role in an online drug trafficking operation that sold counterfeit pills containing fentanyl.
Christion Sayyid Gill, 27, was sentenced Monday, Aug. 24, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia. Prosecutors said Gill and his codefendants operated what investigators described as a highly organized digital drug marketplace.
The group used Telegram, Instagram, Snapchat, Signal and Linktree to advertise and sell counterfeit pills made to resemble Oxycodone. Investigators said the pills were actually laced with fentanyl.
The investigation began after officers in Frederick, Maryland, responded to a suspected overdose involving two juvenile females. Blue pills found at the scene were later confirmed to contain fentanyl. Investigators traced the pills back to the drug operation and determined that one of the defendants had traveled from Martinsburg to Frederick to deliver them.
According to federal prosecutors, the operation was based in Hagerstown and used online orders to arrange drug deliveries throughout the tristate area.
A search of Gill’s home uncovered more than 20 grams of fentanyl, nearly four pounds of methamphetamine, 146 grams of cocaine, two firearms and $49,950 in cash, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Gill was not the only person prosecuted in connection with the operation.
Jayden Gill, 22, of Hagerstown, was convicted in November 2025 and is serving a 260-month, or nearly 21-year, federal prison sentence for his role in the scheme. Federal prosecutors previously said he was involved in selling fentanyl-laced pills online and used the same social media platforms to market the drugs.
A third defendant, Jamil Nicholas Gardner, 33, of Baltimore, is awaiting trial. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Gardner is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
“Fentanyl is deadly, and in this case, it nearly killed two teenagers,” U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey said in announcing Gill’s sentence.
Harvey also urged parents to talk with children about the risks of purchasing pills online, noting that counterfeit pills can look like legitimate prescription medication.
The investigation involved the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Brunswick Police Department, Frederick City Police, Maryland State Police, Hagerstown Police Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided over the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Kane prosecuted Gill.
The latest federal announcement, issued Aug. 24, 2026, updates the earlier May 2026 case information and confirms Gill’s sentence of 210 months.
