Fulton men plead guilty to $6.6 million conspiracy
Four Fulton men have pled guilty on Tuesday to their roles in drug-trafficking and money-laundering conspiracies related to the distribution of more than $6.6 million of synthetic cannabinoids, also known as K2, at Callaway County businesses.
Shawn Michael Browning, 26, Timothy Christopher Sandfort, 30, and Brandon Derek Rader, 32, all of Fulton, pled guilty today. Joshua Adam Sheets, 30, of Fulton, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016.
Browning, Sandfort, Sheets and Rader each pled guilty to participating in a mail fraud conspiracy from Dec. 18, 2012, to July 16, 2015, and to participating in a money-laundering conspiracy during that same time.
Browning, Sandfort, Sheets, and Rader are among seven co-defendants who have pled guilty in this case. Dara Leanne Shirley, 30, of Fulton, pled guilty to participating in the money-laundering conspiracy. Casey Dewayne Miller, 32, of Columbia, and Billie L. Bruce, 36, of Jefferson City, each pled guilty to distributing synthetic cannabinoids.
According to court documents, the drug-trafficking conspiracy generated $6,656,843.
Sandfort, Rader, Shirley, Miller and others operated First Stop Last Stop Pawn & Aromatherapy, Inscentives Resale and Inscentives Auto. First Stop Last Stop Pawn & Aromatherapy was known as a “pawn shop” and “potpourri store.” Inscentives Resale was known to be a “buy, sell, and trade business.” Inscentives Auto held a Missouri motor vehicle dealer’s license. Browning, Sheets, Bruce and others operated Esscentials Resale and S&J Tobacco.
At least 251 shipments of synthetic cannabinoids were made via FedEx and UPS. The packages of synthetic cannabinoids bore misbranded labels that misidentified the contents as “incense,” “aroma therapy” or “potpourri” that were “not for human consumption.” Conspirators mislabeled packages of synthetic cannabinoids for the purpose of avoiding government regulation over these drugs, and to protect the continued sale of these drugs.
