2 men accused of distributing 'bath salts'

Two men are facing allegations that they conspired to sell an addictive designer drug known as bath salts, which is similar to methamphetamine, in Vermont between September and November.
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20131206/NEWS02/312060041/

2 men accused of distributing 'bath salts;' third sought One man released on personal recognizance; other remains in federal custody Dec. 6, 2013 A A Written by Sam Hemingway Burlington Free Press Staff Writer Two men are facing allegations that they conspired to sell an addictive designer drug known as bath salts, which is similar to methamphetamine, in Vermont between September and November. The substance allegedly sold by Devin Messier of Newport and Thomas Arbuckle of Springfield was identified as a-PVP, or alpha-pyrrolidinovalerophenone, according to a Vermont Drug Task Force agent’s affidavit filed with the court. Friday’s hearing marked an initial appearance proceeding for the two men before federal Magistrate John Conroy at U.S. District Court in Burlington. Neither has yet to be formally charged or asked to enter pleas in their cases. A third person, whose name was blacked out in a Vermont Drug Task Force agent’s affidavit filed with the court Friday, apparently remains at large. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy Fuller declined comment Friday on the status of the third individual, saying the investigation was ongoing. Bath salts, often packaged in containers with cartoonish names, look like normal bathing products but contain chemicals that can cause severe reactions and wrack havoc with a person’s central nervous system. According to the agent’s affidavit, the investigation into the alleged conduct by Messier and Arbuckle and the third individual began in September and was triggered by information supplied to police by an informant. Messier, questioned by police, admitted that he purchased heroin and what he said was meth on three occasions from Arbuckle, the affidavit said. An informant purchased some of the meth from Messier in a sale monitored by police, and the meth substance later tested positive as a bath salt, the affidavit said. A second informant subsequently told police Arbuckle purchased 5-gallon buckets containing bags of bath salts from a man in New Hampshire one or two times a week, the affidavit said. Subsequent investigation by police found that the New Hampshire man had obtained the drug via the mail from a source in China, the affidavit said. At Friday’s hearing, Conroy agreed to release Messier on personal recognizance, pending a probable cause hearing at a future date. Arbuckle was ordered to remain in federal custody after Conroy heard evidence about the severity of Arbuckle’s drug problem. “In a post-arrest interview yesterday, the defendant told police that he was using 100 bags of heroin a day, plus bath salts,” the government prosecutor’s detention motion for Arbuckle said. “When the defendant arrived in the federal building today, he had to be transported to the hospital because his withdrawal symptoms were so severe.”