An 80-year-old man who won $51 million in the lottery is sentenced to 16 years in prison for leading a drug ring

John Eric Spiby, 80, has been convicted in the UK of running a large-scale opioid pill production and distribution network from his farm in Greater Manchester, years after becoming a millionaire by winning the lottery in 2010.

Greater Manchester police said Spiby, along with his son John Colin Spiby Jr, 37, Lee Ryan Drury, 45, and Callum Dorian, 35, operated a fully industrialized drug manufacturing business capable of producing “millions of fake pills” containing a “highly dangerous” substance.

From winning the lottery to building a drug empire

In 2010, Spiby won the equivalent of $3.27m in the lottery. Prosecutors said he used much of that money to purchase the machinery needed to manufacture the drugs.

“The total volume of pills recovered, together with the sophisticated machinery, shows just how deeply involved this group was in the supply of illegal drugs,” said Alex Brown, an inspector with Greater Manchester police.

The group produced etizolam tablets, a tranquilizer used to treat anxiety and insomnia that is significantly more potent than diazepam, and distributed them as if they were Valium. According to 2021 data, the illegal distribution of etizolam has been linked to 58% of drug-related deaths in Scotland.

Police described those involved as individuals who showed “no regard for human life or public safety.” Prosecutors said the network sold millions of pills, with the value of the operation estimated at between $66m and $390m. In April 2022 alone, officers intercepted a shipment of 2.5m pills worth up to $91m.

British authorities said the operation directly reduced the presence of illegal drugs in Manchester. During the trial, it was noted that circulation of the pills had increased in certain areas, a surge linked to the group’s activities.

Police warned that the mass production of counterfeit medicines poses a serious risk to the public, as they are marketed as legitimate pharmaceuticals while containing highly potent and dangerous substances.

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