Mass City Man Gets 11+ Years for ‘Bath Salts’ Deal

MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN – Scott Bernard Will, 56, of Mass City, Michigan, is headed to federal prison for over eleven and a half years for peddling dangerous synthetic drugs known as “bath salts” across the Upper Peninsula. U.S. District Judge R. Allan Edgar handed down the 137-month sentence after a federal jury in Marquette found Will guilty last December of distributing and conspiring to distribute alpha-pyrrolidinopentiphenone (alpha-PVP) and pentylone.

The case, a grim reminder of the havoc synthetic drugs wreak, revealed Will wasn’t just a dealer – he was a predator. Testimony presented at trial showed he specifically targeted individuals struggling with addiction, offering the highly addictive substances for free to establish a customer base. Once hooked, those same users were then charged up to $200 per gram. Judge Edgar didn’t mince words, labeling Will a “walking crime wave” due to his extensive criminal history.

“Bath salts” aren’t the soothing spa products the name implies. They’re a group of synthetic cathinones – chemicals with amphetamine-like effects on the central nervous system. Derived from the khat plant of east Africa, these substances deliver a potent and dangerous high. The evidence painted a horrifying picture of the drug’s impact: users testified to staying awake for days, spiraling into psychosis, battling paranoia, and even contemplating suicide. Judge Edgar bluntly stated the victims were “physically wrecked by these drugs.”

Will’s criminal enterprise dates back to 2011, when he first began selling bath salts in the Marquette area. He served jail time from June 2011 to November 2012, but instead of reforming, he immediately resumed his illicit activities. His renewed sales in Baraga and Houghton Counties in early 2013 caught the attention of the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team and the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. An undercover officer subsequently purchased the drugs from Will and his associates in March and April of 2013, leading to their arrests.

While Will chose to fight the charges, taking the case to trial in December 2013, his co-conspirators, Derrick John Guzek, 34, of Mass City, and Kristen Ellen Bergeron, 31, of Pelkie, Michigan, opted for plea deals. Guzek received a 16-month prison sentence, while Bergeron was sentenced to 18 months. Their testimony proved crucial to the government’s case against Will.

The investigation was a joint effort between the Michigan State Police (as part of the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maarten Vermaat and Paul D. Lochner successfully prosecuted the case, securing a significant sentence for a dealer who preyed on the vulnerable and flooded the Upper Peninsula with deadly synthetic drugs. This case underscores the ongoing battle against the proliferation of dangerous substances and the devastating consequences they have on individuals and communities.

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