Karl Morrison Pleads Guilty to Exporting Synthetic Drugs

Buffalo, N.Y. – A Canadian couple has been caught in a massive drug trafficking ring, exporting synthetic substances from China to the United States. Karl Morrison, 59, of Kitchener, Ontario, pleaded guilty today to attempting to export pentylone and furanyl fentanyl, with a potential sentence of up to 20 years and a $1 million fine. His wife, Sorina Morrison, 60, also of Kitchener, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony, facing three years in prison.

The couple’s operation involved intercepting packages mailed from China containing synthetic substances, repackaging them, and shipping them back to Canada under false declarations. One intercepted package contained over 500 grams of pentylone, while another had nearly 6.5 grams of furanyl fentanyl, a substance far more potent than heroin.

Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr., announced the guilty pleas before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. The investigation was a joint effort between Customs and Border Protection, DEA, ICE Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Morrison and his wife Sorina were apprehended after discarding original shipping labels and using an unsuspecting citizen’s address as return information on their packages. They were arrested as they crossed back into Canada at the Lewiston Bridge Port of Entry.

Pentylone, a synthetic cathinone, acts like MDMA, while furanyl fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid. The couple faces sentencing on July 25, 2017.