Santa Ana, California — Sean Libbert, 41, of Newport Beach, has pleaded guilty to masterminding a $12 million synthetic drug empire that flooded the U.S. with lethal ‘spice’ and ‘bath salts.’ The lead defendant in a sprawling federal indictment, Libbert admitted to orchestrating a criminal network that smuggled over 600 pounds of dangerous chemicals into the country from abroad, fueling a black-market bonanza of mind-altering substances tied to near-fatal overdoses.
Libbert pleaded guilty yesterday to four felony counts: conspiracy to manufacture, possess with intent to distribute, and distribute controlled substance analogues; conspiracy to smuggle controlled substance analogues using false statements and fraudulent documents; being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition; and money laundering. The 16-count indictment, filed in June 2014, marked the first major federal case in the district targeting the shadowy world of synthetic drug analogues, substances designed to mimic illegal narcotics while skirting legal definitions.
Under a binding plea agreement, Libbert faces at least six years in federal prison, with prosecutors agreeing to recommend no more than 20 years. U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney will hand down the final sentence on March 20, 2017. Federal prosecutors say Libbert’s operation was one of the largest importers of synthetic drugs in the nation, operating with ruthless precision across state lines and digital marketplaces.
“The investigation in this case revealed that this defendant controlled an organization that was one of the largest importers and distributors of dangerous, synthetic drugs in the nation,” said U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker. “Over the course of only 16 months, this organization smuggled well over 600 pounds of chemicals into the U.S., knowing that the drugs would be used to manufacture synthetic marijuana or ‘spice’ that was smoked or taken orally. As the indictment in this case references, these synthetic drugs pose serious health risks to its users.”
As part of the scheme, Libbert created shell companies, opened multiple bank accounts and private mailboxes, and ran online storefronts peddling more than $12 million in chemicals. He and his co-conspirators even branded their own product — ‘Da Kine Blend’ — a synthetic marijuana blend distributed nationwide. In his guilty plea, Libbert admitted to distributing at least 4 kilograms of synthetic cannabinoids over a 7½-month period in 2011, knowing they would be used to produce at least 100 kilograms of smokable synthetic marijuana.
The nearly three-year probe was led by the Los Angeles HIDTA Southern California Drug Task Force, with key roles played by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the DEA, and IRS Criminal Investigation. Five other defendants have already pleaded guilty in related cases, including a Chinese national who supplied Libbert’s network and three others who conspired to manufacture and distribute the drugs. All are set to be sentenced by Judge Carney in the coming year. “These synthetic drugs are marketed like candy, but they can kill,” said HSI Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Joseph Macias. “We’re not backing down from this threat.”
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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