Flakka distribution ring busted in Springfield

A Walpole, N.H., man was indicted with two others for their alleged roles in the distribution of bath salts, also known as "flakka."
http://www.reformer.com/latestnews/ci_28911421/flakka-distribution-ring-busted-springfield

Flakka distribution ring busted in Springfield By Robert Audette http://newroadstreatment.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/flakka_pillbottle.jpg POSTED: 10/02/2015 09:26:50 AM EDT1 COMMENT| UPDATED: ABOUT 7 HOURS AGO BURLINGTON >> A Walpole, N.H., man was indicted with two others for their alleged roles in the distribution of bath salts, also known as "flakka." According to a press release from the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont, Michael DePalma, 56, of Plainfield, N.H., Louis Turcio, 51, of Springfield, and Andrew Darling, 52, of North Walpole, N.H., appeared in federal court on Oct. 1 following their arrests on a charge of conspiracy to distribute alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone, or a-PVP. In addition to the conspiracy to distribute charge, the Sept. 24 indictment charged Turcio with possession with intent to distribute a-PVP on April 14, and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. According to court records, as part of a long-term investigation into bath salts distribution in the Springfield, law enforcement gathered evidence indicating that DePalma, Turcio, and Darling participated in a months-long enterprise involving the importation of bath salts for distribution in Springfield and neighboring areas. The alleged conspiracy involved the on-line ordering of substantial amounts of bath salts from a supplier in China, wiring of thousands of dollars overseas to purchase the product, and arranging for delivery of the bath salts to locations in Vermont and New Hampshire. On April 14, law enforcement seized from Turcio approximately one kilogram of a-PVP in Springfield. During the execution of a March 9 search warrant at Turcio's residence, law enforcement recovered several handguns. Advertisement U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy ordered that DePalma's arraignment and detention hearing will occur on Oct. 2. Conroy also ordered that Darling and Turcio's detention hearing will take place on Oct. 6. All three defendants were ordered detained pending their detention hearings. If convicted of the drug conspiracy offense, DePalma, Turcio, and Darling face a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison and fines of up to $1,000,000. Flakka, which got its name from a Spanish colloquial term for a pretty, enticing woman, according to documents submitted to the court by the U.S. Attorney's Office, is a synthetic cathinone that mimics the khat plant grown in Africa. It is made from alpha-pyrrolidinovalerophenone, what have been described "as second-generation bath salts," a reference to previous formulations of the amphetaminelike stimulant. Also known as gravel, flakka has made a sudden entrance into the United States. The drug works by blocking the reuptake function of transmitting neurons, according to an article in the New York Times, allowing a storm of dopamine and serotonin to flood the brain. "Flakka comes in the form of crystals of different colors that dissolve in the mouth, and the drug is also smoked and can be used for 'vaping' in e-cigarette-like devices. The body temperature of users who take too much can rise above 105 degrees, resulting in excited delirium. Users can feel so hot that they may strip off their clothes. Some have suffered kidney failure and cognitive impairment." "They do really wild things," Broward County's chief medical examiner, Dr. Craig Mallak, told the New York Times. "A lot of them get hyperthermia and die of heat stroke. A few attack police officers, end up getting shot. They tear their clothes off and go crazy." Many of the drug's users remain high for three days on a $5 dose the size of one-tenth of a packet of sweetener. If convicted of the firearms charge, Turcio faces a maximum possible penalty of 10 years in prison. The United States Attorney's Office emphasizes that the charges against DePalma, Darling, and Turcio are only accusations and they are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty. Any sentences imposed in this case will be advised by the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. U.S. Attorney Eric Miller commended the efforts of the agencies involved in this investigation, which include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Vermont Drug Task Force, the Springfield Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the New Hampshire Drug Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Plainfield, N.H. Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Doyle. DePalma is represented by Jordana Levine, Esq., Darling is represented by Lisa B. Shelkrot, Esq., and Turcio is represented by Frank J. Twarog, Esq.