Contact Palm Beach Business.com by phone: 561 450-8258. By email.
3 West Palm men charged with making, selling designer drugs
By Palm Beach Business.com
WEST PALM BEACH — Three West Palm Beach men have been charged with manufacturing and selling synthetic marijuana as part of a nationwide crackdown on so-called designer drugs, federal authorities said Thursday.
Two Fort Pierce men were charged separately.
Charged in the complaint are: Dylan Harrison, 31, John Shealy, 39, and Michael Bryant, 29, all of West Palm Beach. According to court records, the three allegedly were involved in the manufacture of synthetic marijuana under the brand name “Mr. Nice Guy,” which they distributed throughout the United States.
The defendants allegedly operated from several different warehouses in West Palm Beach, one of which exploded on May 21. During the investigation, authorities seized about 600,000 packets of synthetic marijuna, 20 kilograms of raw synthetic marijuana, about 4,000 kilograms of untreated plant material, $185,000 in cash, 12 firearms (including a .50 caliber rifle), and about 6,000 rounds of ammunition.
Authorities also seized 9 vehicles, valued at about $280,000, 23 luxury watches, 6 cement mixers and 32 Mylar packaging sealers.
If convicted, the three face a maximum sentence of o 30 years in prison.
In the Fort Pierce case, Sabir Ahmed 29, and Mohammad Abu Sayem 32, both of Fort Pierce, were charged with four counts of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute synthetic marijuana, possession with intent to distribute the drug, maintaining a drug lab and endangering human life while manufacturing or attempting to synthetic marijuana.
According to the indictment, Ahmed and Abu Sayem rented a warehouse in Fort Pierce, where they made and sold synthetic marijuana products under brand names such as “Relaxinol,” “Black Cat,” “Fairly Legal,” and “Marley Boy.”
The indictment alleges that last November, St. Lucie County firefighters responded to an explosion and fire at the warehouse the two men rented. An investigation afterwards found a variety of materials at the scene, including acetone, scented oils, plant material, packets of synthetic drugs and a large amount of the synthetic marijuana.
If convicted, Ahmed and Sayem face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Sheriffs' deputies in St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties arrested seven employees of retail shops where the so-called designer drugs were sold.
