Man Known as ‘Machine Guy’ Sentenced for Supplying Drug Production Equipment

An entrepreneur, identified by drug traffickers as “Machine Guy” due to his provision of industrial pill presses, has been incarcerated for 13 years. Sebastiano Sorrenti, 35, of Brean Road, Swindon, offered dealers a “professional customer service,” which included a method for manufacturing 140,000 tablets of the Class C drug Etizolam. Inquiries into a drug dealer in Scotland directed the National Crime Agency (NCA) to Sorrenti, who also possessed communications discussing how to avoid police detection. He received his sentence at Swindon Crown Court after admitting guilt to all charges brought against him. Rory Duffin, the NCA’s lead investigator, stated that Sorrenti played a “critical role for a number of organised criminals.” He further explained, “The NCA investigation found Sorrenti was providing criminals with professional-standard customer service, supplying equipment, ingredients and instructions to create hundreds of thousands of potentially fatal drugs, and troubleshooting problems that arose.” In 2020, Police Scotland discovered pill presses being utilized by an organized crime group for the production of Etizolam, which contributed to over 800 drug-related fatalities in Scotland during that same year. Sorrenti also managed a company that supplied equipment to legitimate pharmaceutical businesses; however, his contact number was found on a dealer’s phone in Scotland, listed as “Machine Guy.” In 2022, NCA officers and Wiltshire Police arrested him at his residence, where they uncovered pill press stamps matching dealer logos, Scottish banknotes, and tablets containing Etizolam and MDMA. He had transmitted messages discussing the delivery of equipment and offering advice on repairing a press. Investigators reviewed more than 4,000 messages, which included guidance from Sorrenti on pill manufacturing, images of the criminal group’s drugs (one depicting MDMA estimated to be worth over £600,000), and a photograph of a quad bike intended as partial payment for drugs. Data confirmed that he had also visited Scotland on dates corresponding with messages about the collection and delivery of illicit goods. Sorrenti attempted to claim his phone number had been spoofed, but an examination by officers found no evidence to support this. For further updates, follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted via email or WhatsApp at 0800 313 4630. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.