2 Missouri residents plead guilty to synthetic marijuana scheme

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Two central Missouri residents pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to crimes related to the distribution of thousands of kilograms of synthetic marijuana, commonly referred to as K2.

These guilty pleas resulted from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and numerous other state and local law enforcement agencies.

Sharon Elizabeth Harrington, 27, of Bunceton, Missouri pleaded guilty to participating in a mail fraud conspiracy in Boone County, Mo., from March 2011, to December 2013.

Chadwick James Schlicht, 44, of Osage Beach, Missouri, pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

Harrington, who was the manager and ran the day-to-day operations of Impulse Market, LLC, was responsible for overseeing the manufacturing process for what was falsely labeled as “incense” or “potpourri” and was labeled “not for human consumption.” Harrington admitted that this “incense” or “potpourri” was actually synthetic cannabinoids mixed with acetone then sprayed onto a plant-like material. These substances, which were mailed or delivered by commercial carrier, were intended for human consumption as a drug. Harrington admitted that she conspired to defraud the Food and Drug Administration and the public by mailing products that were misbranded and bore false and misleading labeling.

Based upon the invoices, bank records, and products seized by law enforcement, Harrington (through her employment with Impulse Market), oversaw the manufacture, sale and distribution of synthetic cannabinoid products, which were produced from approximately 167 kilograms of synthetic cannabinoids obtained from China. Harrington admitted that she sold, in aggregate, multiple kilogram quantities of synthetic cannabinoid products.

In one example cited in the plea agreement, Harrington mailed a parcel of synthetic marijuana to a business in Oklahoma on May 6, 2013. In return for the products, Impulse Market was paid $89,458. 

Schlicht admitted that items seized from his residence by Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers were intended for the manufacture of synthetic marijuana. Troopers executed a search warrant at Schlicht's residence on Oct. 27, 2012 where they seized $1,840, three firearms, numerous packages of synthetic marijuana, and numerous materials related to the manufacture of synthetic.

Under federal statutes, Harrington and Schlicht are each subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

The following state and local law enforcement agencies gave valuable assistance in this investigation: the MUSTANG and LANEG task forces, the North Missouri Drug Task Force, the police departments of the cities of Columbia, Camdenton, Kirksville, Brookfield and Edina; and the sheriff’s departments of Cole, Morgan, Camden, Schuyler, and Linn counties.