EBay Reaches $59 Million Settlement Over Pill Presses Sold Online Amid Opioid Epidemic

E-commerce giant eBay has agreed to pay $59 million to resolve allegations that the company violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in connection with thousands of pill press machines that were sold on the platform, the Department of Justice announced on Jan. 31.

The San Jose, California-headquartered company also agreed to enhance its compliance program as part of the settlement, the DOJ said.

Wednesday’s multi-million-dollar settlement stems from allegations by the DOJ that the online retailer, since 2015, failed to comply with many of the CSA requirements or adequately monitor thousands of pill presses and encapsulating machines that were sold through its website.

They include high-capacity pill presses capable of producing thousands of pills per hour, according to the DOJ.

According to prosecutors, the pill press devices can be used by criminals to make counterfeit drugs—including pills laced with fentanyl—which often appear indistinguishable from legitimate pharmaceutical drugs and have helped fuel the nation’s opioid epidemic.

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