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UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS OFFICE
Southern District of New York
U.S.ATTORNEY PREET BHARARA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: U.S. ATTORNEYS OFFICEThursday,
July 26, 2012 Ellen Davis, Jerika Richardson,
http://www.justice.gov/usao/nys Jennifer Queliz(212)
637-2600
DEAErin McKenzie-Mulvey(212) 337-2906
MANHATTAN U.S. ATTORNEY CHARGES MAJOR MANUFACTURERS
AND DISTRIBUTORS OF SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern
District of New York, andWilbert L. Plummer, the Acting Special
Agent-in-Charge of the New York Division of the DrugEnforcement
Administration (DEA), today announced charges against WILLIAM
CHAVIS,JUSTIN GENSEL, VINCENT CASHMAN, and KEVIN MATHERSON for
conspiring todistribute controlled substances. The defendants were
allegedly manufacturing and distributingsynthetic marijuana and
other designer drugs through their businesses, BMS Distributors
andIntegrity Distributors. CHAVIS, GENSEL, and MATHERSON were
arrested in Tampa, Florida,yesterday as part of a nationwide law
enforcement action known as Operation Log Jam,targeted against the
synthetic designer drug industry responsible for the production and
sale ofsynthetic drugs that are often marketed as bath salts,
Spice, incense, or plant food. They werepresented in the Middle
District of Florida. CASHMAN surrendered today and was presented
inthe Middle District of Florida this afternoon.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated: The charges we are
announcing today aspart of Operation Log Jam are great examples of
law enforcement working together across thenation to wield the laws
might against a new, emerging danger to our citizenry, especially
ourchildren. The drugs may be synthetic but the danger is very
real. As alleged, these defendantsmarketed their highly toxic
synthetic marijuana as aromatic herbs, making it sound
completelyharmless, when in fact, it is a dangerous drug that can
have serious health consequences. It isalso an illegal drug, and as
these defendants now know, marketing and distributing it can lead
toserious consequences of a different sort.
DEA Acting Special Agent-in-Charge for the New York Division
Wilbert L. Plummerstated: This national takedown is not just an
enforcement action. It is an education awareness toparents about
the dangers synthetic drugs. These drugs are illegal and they are
deadly, thus lawenforcement throughout the country has worked on
identifying and dismantling the organizationsthat distribute
them.
According to the Complaint unsealed yesterday in Manhattan
federal court:
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Since 2011, the DEA has investigated the defendants and their
businesses in connectionwith the manufacture and distribution of
hundreds of pounds of substances containing syntheticdrugs, sold in
forms commonly referred to as synthetic marijuana. The defendants
company,BMS Distributors, initially manufactured and shipped the
synthetic marijuana from a warehousein Tampa, Florida, but shifted
its operations to a warehouse in Bay Shore, New York, in mid-2011.
In early 2012, the manufacturing and distribution operations were
again shifted back toTampa, Florida, under the auspices of the
defendants second company, Integrity Distributors.CHAVIS, GENSEL,
and MATHERSON acted as owners and managers of both companies.
The
defendants and their companies used a website to sell the
synthetic drugs, and paraphernalia fortheir use, to stores and
individuals throughout the United States. CASHMAN was
responsiblefor coordinating internet orders placed through the
businesses website and shipments of theillicit products. The
defendants marketed their products as aromatic or herbal incense
and soldthem in the form of packaged products labeled as, among
other things, Black Mamba, FIRE,and Mr. Spicy Green. Seizures and
undercover DEA purchases revealed that shipments fromthe defendants
businesses contained UR-144, 5-MeO-DALT, and AM-2201, key
components ofsynthetic marijuana. Undercover surveillance further
showed that CHAVIS, GENSEL andMATHERSON also purchased large
amounts of acetone, another critical ingredient in thechemical
component of synthetic marijuana.
* * *
CHAVIS, 29, of Seffner, Florida, GENSEL, 41, of Oldsmar,
Florida, CASHMAN, 41, ofTampa, Florida, and MATHERSON, 41, of
Tampa, Florida, are each charged with one count ofconspiring to
distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled
substance. They face amaximum of 20 years imprisonment and a
maximum $1,000,000 fine.
Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the DEA New York
Field Office.Operation Log Jam was conducted jointly by the U.S.
Drug Enforcement Administration and theU.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE), with assistance from the Internal RevenueService
Criminal Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S.
Customs and Border
Protection, the FBI, and the Food and Drug Administrations
Office of Criminal Investigations,as well as countless state and
local law enforcement members in more than 90 U.S. cities
andtargeted every level of the synthetic designer drug industry,
including retailers, wholesalers, andmanufacturers.
The prosecution is being handled by the Offices Narcotics Unit.
Assistant U.S. AttorneyAdam Fee is in charge of the
prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment and the Complaint are
merely accusations, andthe defendants are presumed innocent unless
and until proven guilty.
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