Houston Man Pleads Guilty to Role in the Deaths of Grand Forks Area Teenagers

FARGO - U.S. Attorney Timothy Q. Purdon announced that on March 10, 2014, Charles William Carlton, 29, Katy, Texas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of controlled substances and analogues controlled substance resulting in serious bodily injury or death, introduction and delivery of a misbranded drug, and money laundering before U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Erickson.

The conspiracy involved the distribution of illegal analogue controlled substance through Motion Resources, an online business owned by Carlton. Motion Resources imported illegal analogue controlled substance including hallucinogens from several countries and then sold online throughout the United States. Carlton is the 15th defendant to be convicted as part of the investigation, prosecution and dismantling of this drug trafficking organization, an effort that has been dubbed “Operation Stolen Youth.”

Judge Erickson set sentencing for May 27, 2014, at 1:30 p.m. U.S. District Court.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, Food and Drug Administration, Internal Revenue Service, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations, and Grand Forks Police Department.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Myers is prosecuting the cases.