Missouri man pleads guilty to conspiracy to distribute synthetic drugs

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A central Missouri man pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to his role in a conspiracy to distribute synthetic marijuana, commonly referred to as K2.

This guilty plea resulted from an investigation by the following agencies:  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the Drug Enforcement Administration; Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation; the Missouri State Highway Patrol; the police departments of the Missouri cities of Columbia, Camdenton, Edina, Kirksville and Brookfield; the Missouri sheriff’s departments of Cole, Morgan, Camden, Schuyler and Linn counties; the MUSTANG, LANEG Drug and the North Missouri Drug task forces.

Alexander Vladimir McMillin, aka “Shasha,” 32, of Columbia, Missouri, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matt J. Whitworth to participating in a conspiracy to commit mail fraud between March 1, 2011 and Oct. 2, 2013.

McMillin was a partner in two companies: Dynamic Scents and its successor, Order-Refill LLC.  His two partners in those companies have also pleaded guilty: Patrick Ross Hawkins, 34, and Molly Jane Charmichael, 38, both of Columbia. They are among 14 defendants who have pleaded guilty in this case.

By pleading guilty July 18, McMillin admitted that he sold wholesale orders of packaged synthetic drugs to customers throughout the state of Missouri. These packages of synthetic marijuana bore misleading labeling regarding the contents and nature of the product in order to avoid detection by law enforcement officers.

McMillin falsely and misleadingly referred to these synthetic drug products as “incense,” “herbal incense,” “potpourri,” and “therapeutic potpourri.” These products were labeled as “not intended for human consumption.”  In fact, they were synthetic drugs specifically intended for human consumption in order to obtain a physiological high. When sold at retail stores, these products were often located next to products and paraphernalia used for smoking these substances.

Law enforcement officers seized $82,149 from McMillin and seized $177,398 from the bank account of Order-Refill, all which must be forfeited to the government.

Under the terms of this plea agreement, the government and McMillin agree that a sentence of 63 to 78 months is appropriate. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the U.S. Probation Office completes a presentence investigation.