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Owner of former 420 Emporium given 30 months in prison, forfeits $771K

By Howard B. Owens

The man federal authorities identified as the owner of the former 420 Emporium that was a source of synthetic drugs in Batavia will serve 30 months in prison and forfeit $771,109 dollars in seized money.

Charles Fitzgerald was sentenced in U.S. District Court on Friday.

He had previously entered a guilty plea to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

The 420 Emporium, which was located at 400 Ellicott St., was the locus of synthetic drug dealing in Batavia for a period in the summer of 2012. Bath salts and synthetic marijuana appeared to be at the root of bizarre behavior by some users and the cause of seizures and other medical conditions that landed people in the emergency room at UMMC.

In July, 2012, local and federal authorities raided the 420 Emporium as part of a nationwide operation to crack down on synthetic drug trafficking.

The home of Fitzgerald in Greece, which he shared with co-defendant Amber Snover, was also raided, where authorities seized boxes of drugs as well as a bag full of cash.

Snover has also entered a guilty plea and will be sentenced June 23 in U.S. District Court.

Dave Olsen

How many abandoned houses could that $771,109.00 buy? The city could then sell them for 1 dollar to a family with a plan to renovate and live in them. Periodic progress reports and inspections could be done in accordance with the plan presented at purchase.

Apr 18, 2015, 12:47pm Permalink
C. M. Barons

Calling these products "synthetic marijuana" is not only misleading; it's inaccurate. It only serves to link these so-called designer drugs to cannabis and confuse the public. The connection between these concoctions and marijuana is specious. The chemistry is not the same. The association not only misleads the ill-informed into buying the concoctions, but misleads the general public into presuming the concoctions and marijuana are somehow similar in chemistry or risk. Analysis of the many concoctions marketed as "synthetic marijuana" reveal hundreds of variations combining a host of chemicals. Some are analogues of cannabinoids- most often cannabicyclohexanol, JWH-018, JWH-073, or HU-210. Other chemicals are also present such as synthetic tocopherol, zaleplon, cathinone derived from stimulants such as 4-methylbuphedrone and 4-methyl-alpha-PPP and psychedelic tryptamine derivatives such as 4-HO-DET. Synthetic opioid drugs such as AH-7921 have also been detected along with an ever-changing inventory of synthetic cannabinoids and/or cathinone analogues.

Apr 20, 2015, 2:12am Permalink
Raymond Richardson

"Calling these products "synthetic marijuana" is not only misleading; it's inaccurate."

Since the definition of synthetic means to make by chemical synthesis to imitate a natural product, it's very accurate.

Apr 20, 2015, 8:15am Permalink
Howard B. Owens

What Richard said.

All of the analogues are intent on mimicking specific drugs. Bath salts is technically the more nebulous term, covering synthetics meant to mimic meth, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy (itself an ever-changing chemical concoction but with its own distinct appeal and high), and sometimes a combination of these.

Synthetic marijuana is totally accurate since the chemical combinations are meant to mimic, even in an enhanced form, the high of marijuana (including, as we've seen, the paranoia).

Apr 20, 2015, 12:28pm Permalink
Frank Bartholomew

The money was seized in another county, I believe Monroe. Howard is right , jwh, works on the same receptors as does thc. I believe jwh is for John W. Huffman, an organic chemist who invented it.

Apr 20, 2015, 2:07pm Permalink
Kyle Couchman

LOL CM Barons....

You need to research better. Both of the articles you cited support Howard's argument.

http://patch.com/florida/landolakes/synthetic-marijuana-is-a-misnomer-h… : This one is simply making a clarification, because some people are using the generic term synthetic marijuana for all analog drugs. When there are others to mimic heroin, pcp and such.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2014/08/28/6-reasons-synthetic… I'm not sure you realize that this whole article is not only counter to your assertion, but also lists additional damage that synthetic marijuana can cause over the mid and long term usage. The whole premise of your original post was that, and I quote... "Calling these products "synthetic marijuana" is not only misleading; it's inaccurate." Yet that exactly what this forbes article does over and over again. That pretty much invalidates your whole argument. LMAO.

Apr 20, 2015, 4:23pm Permalink
Kyle Couchman

Of course you will Scott, did you really have anything to add to the conversation or are you just gonna snipe at my comments? I'm pretty sure you don't have much to say as your agenda is just to aggravate certain people.

Apr 20, 2015, 8:42pm Permalink
Raymond Richardson

Actually, I couldn't have said it better than Kyle.

Burns' lack of reading comprehension, and his radical approach of interpretation, is astounding to say the least.

LOL

Apr 21, 2015, 8:33am Permalink
C. M. Barons

The whole point of spice, bath salts etc. is to avoid the law by changing ingredients faster than the law makers can prohibit whatever new chemicals are put into these products. These products are marketed as natural, plant-based under the general descriptor, synthetic marijuana, to give the impression that they are as benign as marijuana. THC (tetrahydrocannibinol), the primary active component in marijuana has been synthesized under the names marinol and dronabinol. The synthetic concoctions marketed as "synthetic marijuana" contain neither. They are designer drugs derived from various plant and pharmaceutical sources. They are manufactured without consistency or quality standards with no concern for the fate of the user.

Apr 21, 2015, 1:25pm Permalink
Frank Bartholomew

How much do you think budwiser cares about the fate ot its users? Bud is only interested in the fate of the users $$.
The users fate is up to the user, not the seller.

Apr 21, 2015, 5:36pm Permalink
Scott Ogle

"How much do you think budwiser cares about the fate ot its users?"

Enough to systematically analyze samples to insure safety and uniformity through quality control.

Apr 21, 2015, 6:12pm Permalink
Raymond Richardson

"That should make the victim of a drunk driver feel much better Scott."

Blaming the beer companies? Why? Did they force the beer down someone's throat to the point they're too intoxicated to operate a vehicle?

That's right up there with the same stupid argument that gun manufacturers are responsible for every injury or death from a GSW.

Not!

Apr 21, 2015, 9:44pm Permalink
Frank Bartholomew

If you can read and comprehend the conversation Ray, you would clearly see I said in comment #21, the fate of the user is up to the user, not the seller.That is my whole point, we want to blame everyone else for our own decisions.Laws will never stop people from being stupid, and doing stupid things,. More laws just grow more government.
Scott, I think you went apples and oranges before I did, I wasn't talking about craftsmanship in the brew process, but you knew that.

Apr 22, 2015, 11:39am Permalink
Scott Ogle

". . .I think you went apples and oranges before I did, I wasn't talking about craftsmanship in the brew process, but you knew that."

It's becoming increasingly difficult to discern what you're talking about, Frank.

Apr 22, 2015, 11:47am Permalink
Frank Bartholomew

Scott, not surprising that you can't grasp the point being made.You made the ridiculous remark about quality assurance when you knew damn well my point
was about the after effects of alcohol consumption, and the point that budwiser doesn't care about who drinks their beer or how much they drink, why would they care, its all about money, just like the illegal drug trade.

Apr 22, 2015, 2:06pm Permalink
Raymond Richardson

"If you can read and comprehend the conversation Ray, "

Much more acute than your ability to detect sarcasm Frank.

Apr 22, 2015, 5:33pm Permalink
Jim Urtel Jr

So what exactly is your point Frank? I know you are against the cops and all so what are you against these synthetic drugs being illegal too? They are complete garbage and I see no connection to alcohol and it`s distribution. What do you want to do, let the guy go or what? I know you think your rights are violated every 10 minutes but try to come back to reality and talk sense!

Apr 23, 2015, 12:37pm Permalink
Frank Bartholomew

Jim, just because I won't give my rights up as easily as you doesn't mean I am against anything.
I'm not trying to promote anything or anybody,and I agree 100% with you these drugs
are garbage. I feel the same way about alcohol Jim, and that always seems to bother people.Alcohol will kill and maim more people this year than any other drug.
Alcohol will tear more families apart than any other drug.
More people will visit the emergency room with alcohol related problems than any other drug.
Jim, my rights don't get violated, I know them and would challenge those who didn't.

Apr 23, 2015, 7:28pm Permalink

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