Texas Man Sentenced for Bath Salts Conspiracy

Texas Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Role in Bath Salts Conspiracy

A 40-year-old Texas man has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute alpha-pvp, commonly known as bath salts, in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

According to U.S. Attorney Peter Smith, Thanh Duc Tran, of Houston, Texas, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to distribute alpha-pvp to customers in at least 32 states, including Pennsylvania, over various websites during 2011 through March 2014.

Tran was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2014 as a result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspectors, the Pennsylvania State Police, and West Pittston Police.

As part of his sentence, Judge Malachy E. Mannion ordered Tran to forfeit his interest in various assets valued at over $750,000, including a residence in Texas, coins, bank accounts, vehicles, cash, and firearms.

The forfeited assets include a residence in Texas valued at approximately $300,000, coins valued at more than $260,000, four bank accounts containing over $200,000, two vehicles, over $7000 in cash and more than $17,000 in uncashed money orders, and two firearms.

Tran must also spend three years on supervised release following his prison sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.

The sentencing highlights the ongoing efforts to combat the distribution and possession of bath salts and other illicit substances in the region.

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