Nine Individuals, Four Businesses Indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute Synthetic Drugs

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that three Columbia, Mo., siblings are among nine individuals and four businesses indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute synthetic marijuana, commonly referred to as K2.

Matthew Ashby Hawkins, 38, his brother, Patrick Ross Hawkins, 31, and his sister, Molly Jane Carmichael, 36, all of Columbia, Alexander Vladimir McMillin, 29, of Columbia, Kent Allen Holtz, 42, of Kaiser, Mo., Chadwick James Schlicht, 43, of Osage Beach, Mo., Charles Sterling Austin, Jr., 61, of St. Charles, Mo., Scott Wesley Hanson, 47, of Versailles, Mo., Thomas Lee McCormack, 28, of Jefferson City, Mo., and four businesses – Dynamic Scents, LLC, and Order Refill, LLC, Columbia business owned by Matthew and Patrick Hawkins, Carmichael and McMillin, Puff N Stuff, a retail business in Eldon, Mo., and Mozark Products, LLC, in Jefferson City – were charged in a six-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City on Oct. 2, 2013. The indictment was unsealed on Oct. 10, 2013, upon the arrests and initial court appearances of several defendants.

The federal indictment alleges that all of the defendants participated in a conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance analogue, also known as synthetic marijuana or K2, between Dec. 7, 2011, and Oct. 2, 2013. K2 is a mixture of plant material that has been sprayed or mixed with a synthetic chemical compound similar to THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. K2 products are often labeled as “incense,” but in reality are intended for human consumption as a drug.

The indictment also charges McMillin, Matthew Hawkins, Patrick Hawkins, Carmichael, Austin, Dynamic Scents, Order Refill, Puff N Snuff and Mozark Products with participating in a money-laundering conspiracy from Dec. 7, 2011, to Oct. 2, 2013. According to the indictment, they conspired to engage in financial transactions that involved the proceeds of the drug-trafficking conspiracy.

In addition to the two conspiracies, the indictment charges McMillin with one count of distributing a controlled substance analogue and one count of possessing a controlled substance analogue with the intent to distribute. Hanson and McCormack are also each charged with one count of possessing a controlled substance analogue with the intent to distribute.

The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require the defendants to forfeit to the government any property derived from the proceeds of the alleged conspiracies, or used to facilitate the alleged conspiracies, including $423,327 seized from Puff N Suff’s bank account, $177,398 seized from Order Refill’s bank account, $14,215 seized from Mozark Products’ bank account, $82,149 seized from McMillin, $55,175 seized from Hanson and a 2004 Hummer H2 seized from Hanson.

Dickinson cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven R. Berry. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, the MUSTANG Task Force, the LANEG Drug Task Force, the Cole County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Morgan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Camden County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Camdenton, Mo., Police Department.