Matthew James McCauley, a 39-year-old man from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has pleaded guilty to maintaining a premises for the distribution of controlled substances and aggravated identity theft. The guilty plea was entered in federal court in Cedar Rapids, where McCauley admitted to opening the Fragrance Hut smoke shop for the purpose of distributing illegal synthetic controlled substances, commonly referred to as “spice” or “K2.”
According to court documents, McCauley opened the Fragrance Hut in February 2014, and the store sold synthetic cannabinoid products with names like “WTF,” “Diablo,” “Purple Haze,” “Fairly Legal,” “Green Giant,” and “Smoking Santa.” McCauley also admitted to having stolen the identity of another individual during and in relation to a wire fraud scheme. He created a false driver’s license using another individual’s name and date of birth, and then used that name and date of birth to obtain a fraudulent line of credit to purchase jewelry at a local jewelry store.
The case against McCauley was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice. The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services.
McCauley faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on the drug charge, and a mandatory consecutive sentence of 2 years’ imprisonment on the identity theft charge. He also faces up to $750,000 in fines, $200 in special assessments, and 4 years of supervised release following any imprisonment. Sentencing will be set after a presentence report is prepared, and McCauley will remain in custody of the United States Marshal until then.
The guilty plea is a significant development in the case, and it highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to combat the distribution of synthetic drugs and identity theft. The investigation and prosecution of McCauley’s case were led by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham, and the case file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file numbers are CR14-94-LRR and 14-MJ-186.
The conviction of McCauley serves as a reminder of the serious consequences of engaging in illegal activities such as synthetic drug distribution and identity theft. The penalties for these crimes can be severe, and they can have a significant impact on individuals and communities. As the case against McCauley demonstrates, law enforcement agencies are committed to investigating and prosecuting these types of crimes, and they will continue to work together to keep communities safe.
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Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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