Canadian Man Found Guilty of Importing 147,000 Estasy Pills From Canada into the United States

          BUFFALO, N.Y.-- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Osborne Young, 47, of Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, was convicted following a jury trial before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara of importing approximately 147,000 pills containing Benzylpiperazine, commonly referred to as Ecstasy, into the United States from Canada. This was one of the largest seizures ever of illegal pills at the border. The charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000, or both.

            According to Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Fauzia K. Mattingly and Assistant U.S. Mary Catherine Baumgarten, who handled the prosecution of the case at trial, the defendant was driving his tractor trailer and attempted to enter the United States from Canada at the Lewiston Bridge Port of Entry in April 2012. After being pulled over for secondary inspection, Customs and Border Protection Officers discovered approximately 147,000 Ecstasy pills concealed in the refrigeration unit of the tractor trailer. The estimated value of the pills was at least $1,500,000.

            The verdict is the result 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 U.S. Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of
Director of Field Operations James Engleman.