Feds Investigating Local Man

A Columbia man accused of selling synthetic drugs is now under investigation by the federal government.Charges against Kevin Bay, the owner of Bocomo Bay, may have been dropped in Missouri. Court records for Bay’s charges in Stoddard County have now been closed to public. The prosecutor there could not confirm if the charges have been dismissed. However, ABC 17 News has learned officials higher up are taking on the case.Federal court documents detailing an investigation could lead to new criminal charges. The U.S. government is looking into Bay for possibly possessing illegal drugs, laundering money and selling drug paraphernalia.According to the court documents, the government has seized many of Bay’s assets that he may have received from conducting illegal business. That property includes more than $600,000 in cash and jewelry as well as gold, platinum and palladium bars.Federal officials claim the U.S. has a right to keep those items because they might be the outcome of criminal activity and aid in the current investigation against Bay.The U.S. Attorney’s Office is also looking into Bay for making bank transactions that avoid government detection.The business, Bocomo Bay, and another man, John Hawkins, are also under investigation for the same reasons.ABC 17 News tried to get a hold of Kevin Bay and his lawyer Tuesday, but they did not return phone calls asking for comment.