Daniel Bowles, 47, pleaded guilty to running a drug network that distributed illicit cannabinoid products to smokers’ shops across the country.
PHOENIX – A Phoenix man pleaded guilty in federal court to orchestrating a drug trafficking organization in the southwest.
Daniel Bowles, 47, on Tuesday pleaded guilty to a plot to distribute synthetic cannabis – a charge that sentenced him to a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Bowles was part of a team that manufactured, packaged, and sold synthetic cannabinoids known as “Spice” to retail stores across the country.
Synthetic cannabinoid is a mind altering chemical compound that is often smoked or vaporized from electronic cigarettes. The National Institute on Drug Abuse has warned against ingesting synthetic cannabinoids because their side effects can be unpredictable and more severe than regular marijuana.
The Drug Enforcement Administration began its investigation into the human trafficking organization in 2015 after a Texas business started selling products with names like Death Grip and Brain Freeze.
Investigators found that stores would buy these synthetic products by transferring money orders to Arizona to accounts often held by Bowles, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Bowles would review the network’s finances and manage the callers who took orders for the synthetic cannabinoids, court documents show.
Bowles and his co-conspirators had sales of nearly $ 15 million through their human trafficking network between 2012 and 2019.
The conspirators would try to hide their profits by laundering the money into other companies that they own.
“It was another part of the conspiracy that these revenues were transferred between co-conspirators and their firms or corporations in order to create the appearance of legitimate business transactions or to disguise the source of the funds,” court documents read.
Court documents show that the defendant admitted using profits from drug sales to buy expensive rentals, cars and boats.
According to the defendant’s settlement agreement, Bowles has agreed to forfeit $ 5 million and three of his possessions. He is due to be sentenced in a federal court on November 16.
Six other defendants, including three from Arizona, have also pleaded guilty to their involvement in the human trafficking organization.
These include Ratchanee McAuley, 50, from Phoenix; Frank Gonzalez, 60, and Ernesto Salazar, 34, both from Mesa; Thirawat Athikulrat, 42, and Chuanphit Srithongrung, 44, both from Downey, California; and Don Jessop, 52, Salt Lake City, Utah.
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