Akron Man Sentenced For Conspiracy To Import Bath Salts From China

CONTACT:  Karen Brown
PHONE:  (716) 843-5836
FAX:   (716) 551-3051

BUFFALO, N.Y.--U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Rodney Howard, 45, of Akron, N.Y., was sentenced to 36 months in prison by United States District Court Judge William M. Skretny for conspiracy to import alpha-PVP, a synthetic drug also commonly known as “bath salts.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank T. Pimentel, who handled the case, stated that a quantity of bath salts was ordered over the Internet from China and addressed to a third party at the defendant’s residence in Akron. On April 15, 2014, Howard arrived at the United States Post Office in Akron and picked up the package, which contained 14 ounces of alpha-PVP. Special Agents from Homeland Security Investigations then arrested the defendant.

The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of James C. Spero, and Special Agents of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge, Shelly A. Binkowski.