Thomas Seymore Admits Role in Ethylone Drug Conspiracy

Thomas Seymore, 38, of Carteret, New Jersey, admitted today in federal court to his role in a scheme to traffic approximately four kilograms of ethylone from China into New Jersey. The synthetic stimulant, classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, was shipped to Teaneck in June 2014 as part of a coordinated drug conspiracy, federal prosecutors revealed.

Seymore pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark to one count of conspiring to distribute ethylone. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. His sentencing is set for February 1, 2017, in federal court.

According to court documents and statements made during the plea hearing, Seymore conspired with others on June 10, 2014, to receive and distribute the illicit shipment after it arrived from China. Ethylone, a dangerous synthetic drug, mimics the effects of stimulants and may produce hallucinations, increasing its risk to users.

The indictment against Seymore was returned by a federal grand jury on April 18, 2016, following a multi-agency investigation into international drug smuggling operations targeting the Northeast corridor. Authorities intercepted communications and shipping records that placed Seymore at the center of the distribution network.

The probe was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with support from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Special Agent in Charge Carl J. Kotowski (DEA), Special Agent in Charge Terence S. Opiola (HSI), and Inspector in Charge Maria L. Kelokates (USPIS) oversaw the operation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan M. Peck and Tazneen Shahabuddin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark are prosecuting the case. U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced the guilty plea, underscoring federal resolve to dismantle transnational drug trafficking rings operating in New Jersey.