A sentencing hearing is set this week in Anchorage Federal
court for Robin Gattis, 20, Wasilla, the leader of a drug
conspiracy involving seven other south-central Alaska residents,
who pled guilty in federal court August 9 to drug conspiracy
involving methylone.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bradley, this is first
case in the U.S. involving a methylone death. U.S. District
Court Judge Ralph Beistline will decide Gattis' sentence at a
hearing on Thursday. Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of 20
years in prison and a $1-million fine.
The six other co-conspirators previously pled guilty to federal
drug charges stemming from a conspiracy to possess and
distribute Methylone.
Methylone, is a Schedule I controlled substance known as “Molly,
“M1”, and “rolls’ and is a synthetic drug similar to MDMA, also
known as “ecstasy.”
Gattis admitted that he imported approximately three kilograms
of methylone between October 2011 and July 2012. He also
admitted that he was the leader and organizer of the conspiracy,
that he directly imported the drugs from China, and that he
repeatedly wired money to China or directed others to do so in
order to pay for drugs.
He also admitted that he engaged in drug dealing as a
livelihood, that he knowingly used persons under age 18 to
assist in the crime, that he distributed the drugs to persons
under 18, and that he distributed methylone to Matthew Scott,
20, who died of a methylone overdose in April, 2012, in his
Anchorage apartment.
Gattis has been in federal custody since his arrest on July 31,
2012.
All of the defendants, Robin Gattis, Chad Cameron, 18, Palmer;
Stephen Kimbrell, 20, Soldotna; Kevin Rupp, 21, Anchorage; Shane
O’Hare, 23, Wasilla; Bren Marx, 20, Palmer; and Haylee Hays, 19,
Anchorage, have pled guilty to charges stemming from their
agreement to import methylone from China to Alaska and
distribute it between September 2011 and July 2012.
The seven defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in
December 2012.
In January 2013, Haylee Hays pled guilty to international money
laundering as charged in Count 21 of the indictment. Hays
admitted that she wired money to China to pay for a methylone
shipment in July 2012. Hays is scheduled for sentencing in
January.
In January 2013, Bren Marx pled guilty to count three of the
indictment, admitting that he attempted to possess methylone in
February 2012. Marx was living with Gattis and Rupp in Wasilla
when U.S. Customs intercepted a package containing 22 grams of
methylone that was being shipped from China to Gattis.
Marx and Gattis were arrested after the package was delivered,
and Marx was found to be in possession of additional methylone
from a prior shipment.
Marx was sentenced to five years of probation in April 2013.
Stephen Kimbrell pled guilty to two counts of the indictment in
February 2013 and admitted that he attempted to possess 850
grams of methylone in July 2012. Gattis, Kimbrell, Hays, and
others had wired money to China to pay for an 850 gram package
of Methylone.
Kimbrell also pled guilty to international money laundering,
admitting that he wired money to China to help pay for the
drugs.
Shane O’Hare pled guilty to possession of methylone with intent
to distribute in February 2013, admitting that he repeatedly
allowed Robin Gattis to ship drugs from China to O’Hare’s
mailbox at the UPS Store in Wasilla. O’Hare admitted that he
received multiple packages that he knew contained methylone, and
delivered them to Gattis for further distribution. He is
scheduled to be sentenced in January.
Chad Cameron pled guilty in March 2013 to one count of attempted
possession of a controlled substance.
Cameron admitted driving Gattis to Kenai on July 30, 2012, to
pick up the package containing 850 grams of methylone that had
been shipped to Stephen Kimbrell. The package had been
intercepted by U.S. Customs, and Gattis, Cameron, and Kimbrell
were arrested. Cameron also admitted wiring money to China at
Gattis’ direction to pay for methylone on two occasions.
On one of those occasions, Cameron was under 18 years of age.
Kevin Rupp pled guilty in March 2013 to one count, admitting
that he knowingly possessed methylone with the intent to
distribute. Rupp admitted that he drove Gattis to Wasilla in
April 2012 to pick up a package containing methylone from
O’Hare.
He also admitted to transporting Gattis and the drugs back to
Anchorage to the condo he shared with MGS. Rupp was also present
in February 2012 when a package of methylone was delivered to
the house he shared with Gattis and Marx in Wasilla. Rupp is
scheduled for sentencing in August 2013.
According to the indictment, after Scott died, Gattis emailed
the supplier in China, advising them of the death and asking
them for a refund. However, the indictment alleges that less
than a month later, Gattis was ordering more methylone from the
same supplier.
A federal investigation began after Scott's death and culminated
when two more packages were intercepted in June and July 2012.
Gattis and the other defendants each face up to 20 years of
imprisonment on the drug conspiracy, possession, and money
laundering charges.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement
Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Anchorage
Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service,
and the Mat-Su Drug Unit. |
