Derry Man Pleads Guilty in $1.2M Synthetic Cannabinoid Ring

TONY AOUDE, 45, of Derry, New Hampshire, pleaded guilty to running a synthetic cannabinoid pipeline through his Londonderry and Hooksett stores, funneling toxic drugs across state lines in a scheme that stretched from local smoke shops to Florida street corners. The man behind the glossy-labeled poisons admitted in federal court to conspiracy charges that exposed a network built on deception, disease, and dollar signs.

Aoude copped to two counts: Conspiracy to Violate the Travel Act and Conspiracy to Receive Misbranded Products. Between 2013 and 2014, he sold synthetic cannabinoid products laced with XLR11 and AB-FUBINACA—both illegal controlled substances. Packaged under names like ‘Toxic Blue Magic’ and ‘Caution Platinum,’ the drugs were falsely labeled ‘not for human consumption’ and ‘legal in 50 states’—a lie he knew was dead on arrival. Users smoked them anyway, chasing a high that often led to ER visits, seizures, and worse.

The operation went national when undercover officers moved in. Posing as traffickers looking to resell in Florida, they met Aoude at his Londonderry store. Even after co-conspirator Robert Costello warned the drugs were illegal in Florida, Aoude facilitated sales and accepted payments to ship more. This wasn’t retail—it was distribution. The DEA watched, listened, and moved in when the paper trail turned red.

This bust cracked open a broader syndicate. Costello, who supplied Aoude, is now serving a 60-month federal sentence. Kyle Hurley, the alleged manufacturer and distributor behind the chemical brew, is locked up for 114 months. Aoude’s role, while not the top of the chain, greased the wheels of a deadly trade preying on young users lured by flashy packaging and false promises of safety.

‘There is a misconception that synthetic cannabinoids… are safe,’ said DEA Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson. ‘They are a toxic cocktail of lethal chemicals.’ U.S. Attorney Emily Gray Rice echoed the warning: ‘These products are far from safe. They are made in highly unsanitary conditions and users have no idea what potentially deadly chemical may be inside.’ The packaging? Designed to dodge regulators and bait kids.

Sentencing for Tony Aoude is set for May 4, 2017. The case was led by the DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad with support from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a federal strike force targeting high-level drug operations. The message is clear: just because it’s in a package doesn’t mean it’s legal—or survivable.

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