How a machine accelerated illegal drug manufacturing in Massachusetts.

Editor's Note: The use of pill presses to quickly produce dangerous counterfeit pills that kill thousands of Americans each year has skyrocketed in recent years. MassLive conducted a months-long investigation to find out what they are, how they prevailed, and what is being done about them. This is the first story in an ongoing series.

On a suburban street in the crisp greenery of late May, PJ Susan “Peach” Goldenberg took a pill and never woke up.