Charles Burton Ritchie, Spice Manufacturing, Nevada 2022

Defendants Get 20 Years in Prison for Operating Spice Manufacturing Operation

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - In a significant blow to the illicit spice trade, two defendants were sentenced to 20 years each in federal prison for operating a continuing criminal enterprise and other crimes related to spice manufacturing.

Charles Burton Ritchie, 49, of Park City, Utah, and Benjamin Galecki, 46, of Pensacola, Florida, were found guilty of 24 counts, including operating a continuing criminal enterprise, manufacturing and possessing with the intent to distribute controlled substance analogues, and money laundering, among other related charges.

The defendants were sentenced on March 15, 2022, for their crimes, which took place from March 21 to July 25, 2012. During this time, Ritchie and Galecki owned and managed Zencense Incenseworks, a company that manufactured smokable synthetic cannabinoid products and marketed them as "potpourri," "incense," or "aromatherapy."

The defendants rented a warehouse in Las Vegas for the sole purpose of manufacturing these synthetic products, which contained the dangerous chemical XLR-11 — a controlled substance analogue. They sold their products to smoke shops across the United States, generating approximately $1.61 million in revenue.

According to court documents, Ritchie and Galecki were responsible for manufacturing and distributing approximately 4,000 pounds of spice, which contained the chemical XLR-11. They rented a warehouse in Las Vegas for the sole purpose of manufacturing these synthetic products.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt stated, "Charles Burton Ritchie and Benjamin Galecki operated a nationwide criminal enterprise, selling dangerous drugs worth millions of dollars that contained illegal ingredients imported from China."

U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich added, "Our office appreciates the opportunity to work closely with our law enforcement partners and the national Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces to dismantle this illegal drug-manufacturing operation."

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the IRS Criminal Investigation also played a crucial role in dismantling the operation.

Mandatory Facts: Defendant/Respondent: Charles Burton Ritchie, Benjamin Galecki; Criminal Charges: Operating a continuing criminal enterprise, manufacturing and possessing with the intent to distribute controlled substance analogues, money laundering, and other related charges; City and State: Las Vegas, Nevada; Exact Date: July 3, 2019; Sentence or Outcome: 20 years in federal prison for each defendant; Dollar Amounts: Approximately $1.61 million in revenue.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nv/pr/manufacturers-spice-sentenced-operating-continuing-criminal-enterprise-and-other-crimes