Amherst Woman Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy To Import Alpha-PVP

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051

BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that Judi Strong, 43, of Amherst, NY, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import Alpha-PVP, a Schedule I controlled substance, before U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.  The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both.  
 
Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward H. White, who is handling the case, stated that in July 2015, Strong conspired with a co-defendant to import Alpha-PVP into the United States from China. The defendant ordered the substance on-line and had it shipped in two FedEx Express Mail packages to her residence in Amherst. Federal law enforcement officers intercepted the packages and performed a controlled delivery to Strong at her residence where she accepted delivery of the two packages. The two packages contained approximately 178 grams of Alpha-PVP. 
 
The plea is the result of an investigation by Special Agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero.
 
Sentencing is scheduled for September 16, 2016 at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Vilardo.