Suspects in K-2 case due in court today

Law officers still seeking Jefferson City man

Six suspects arrested Wednesday on a federal indictment will appear in court at 10 a.m. today, according to Don Ledford, public affairs spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Kansas City.

“It’s a detention hearing,” Ledford said. “We’ve made a motion to hold them until the trial.”

Six Fulton residents were among those arrested Wednesday, accused by a federal grand jury for participating in a $6.6 million mail fraud conspiracy to distribute synthetic marijuana, also known as K-2, at various retail locations in Callaway County.

One Fulton resident, Dara Leanne Shirley, 30, of Fulton, has been released on bond, according to Ledford, who added he did not know the amount of the bond.

Lawmen are still seeking a Jefferson City man, Billie L. Bruce, 36, for whom warrants have been issued.

“We’re still searching for him,” Ledford said late Thursday afternoon.

The five Fulton residents who will appear in federal court this morning are: Jason Lee Houston, 36; Shawn Michael Browning, 27; Timothy Christopher Sandfort, 30; Brandon Derek Rader, 31; and Joshua Adam Sheets. Also arrested was Casey Dewayne Miller, 32, of Columbia; he also will be in court today, Ledford said.

The indictment also names five out-of-state residents, including Raja “Rex” Amer Nawaz, 41, a citizen of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, who has already been taken into custody. The others have been asked to turn themselves into custody, Ledford said. They include Sheila Marie Nawaz, 39, Roseville, California; Michael James Butler, 39, of Sacramento, California; Curtis Whayne Gonzales, 55, of North Highlands, California; and Aleksandr Polyanskiy, 24, of Citrus Heights, California.

“They will eventually be brought here,” Ledford said.

The 14-count indictment alleges all of the defendants participated in a conspiracy to defraud the government and the public from Dec. 18, 2012, to July 16 by selling synthetic marijuana under various trade names. Ledford said the drug containers were labeled “not for human consumption” when they actually were.

“The people who are selling it and the people who are buying it know what it’s for,” Ledford added.

The indictment also alleges this K-2 was being sold out of several Callaway County locations, including one just west of Fulton, Inscentives Resale, at 601 Airway Drive.

That location had been raided previously, but no one had been arrested, Ledford added.

“They executed search warrants previously, I think even a few months ago, but didn’t arrest or charge anyone at that time,” he said.

K-2, Ledford explained, is synthetic marijuana which has nearly the same effects as the real thing.

“They take some sort of herbal plant material, and somehow apply a chemical on it; you could spray it, for example,” he said. “The chemical is designed to mimic the effects of marijuana.”

Some of the K-2 sellers think they are avoiding criminal activity by manufacturing and selling K-2 rather than marijuana — but they would be wrong, according to Ledford.

“Part of it is they’re trying to avoid the federal drug trafficking laws by trying to create something not controlled. Marijuana is a controlled substance,” Ledford said.

However, there is a law that makes it illegal to create substances that mimic illegal drugs, he added.

“If it mimics a controlled substance, it’s a controlled substance analogue,” Ledford said, adding those analogues are illegal.

According to the indictment, hundreds of shipments of synthetic marijuana were made to Callaway County. Synthetic marijuana was allegedly sold at Inscentives Resale, with one location in Auxvasse and two locations in Fulton, and at S&J Smoke Shop in Holts Summit.

According to the affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, these retail establishments grossed approximately $6,656,843 from the sale of approximately 799 kilograms of synthetic marijuana.