GRAFFITI TOWN, MISSOURI – In a shocking turn of events, a California man has pleaded guilty to his role in a $6.6 million K2 conspiracy that left a trail of destruction in its wake.
Michael James Butler, 40, of Sacramento, California, pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy, which involved the distribution of synthetic cannabinoids, also known as K2, at various businesses in Callaway County, Missouri.
According to court documents, the drug-trafficking conspiracy generated $6,656,843 in gross proceeds. Butler acknowledged that his conduct directly contributed to the generation of approximately $753,688 of that total.
Butler managed a co-conspirator’s company that was used to send FedEx packages containing synthetic cannabinoids to wholesale customers at various locations in the United States. He also established and controlled another company, Butler-Whayne Industries, LLC, which sent packages containing synthetic cannabinoids to locations in Callaway County, including Inscentives Resale in Auxvasse and Fulton and Esscentials/S&J Tobacco in Holts Summit.
Butler is among eight co-defendants who have pleaded guilty in this case. Other defendants include Shawn Michael Browning, 26, Timothy Christopher Sandfort, 31, Brandon Derek Rader, 32, and Joshua Adam Sheets, 31, all of Fulton, who pleaded guilty to the same charges.
Dara Leanne Shirley, 30, of Fulton, pleaded guilty to participating in the money-laundering conspiracy. Casey Dewayne Miller, 32, of Columbia, and Billie L. Bruce, 36, of Jefferson City, each pleaded guilty to distributing synthetic cannabinoids.
Butler faces a maximum sentence of up to 40 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided under federal statutes.
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- James Allen, Marijuana Trafficking, MO, 2013 · Minnesota
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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