Pubdate: Wed, 28 Nov 2001
Source: News & Observer (NC)
Copyright: 2001 The News and Observer Publishing Company
Contact:  http://www.news-observer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/304
Author: Aisling Swift

Two Duke Students Facing Ecstasy Charges

TEXAS CHEMIST AIDED DURHAM DRUG INQUIRY

DURHAM - Two Duke University students were arrested Tuesday on charges that 
they tried to make the drug Ecstasy, and police were tipped off by a Texas 
chemist who wrote a top guidebook on illegal drugs.

Evan Mathew Beard, 19, and Levi Stephen Karnehm, 20, of 318 Canterbury 
Hall, GG2, on Duke's West Campus each were charged with possession of a 
precursor to manufacture, sell or deliver a controlled substance, arrest 
warrants show.

A search warrant filed by Investigator M.L. Chamberlin accuses Beard of 
placing an order for the chemicals using his roommate's credit card Oct. 4.

Magistrate D.E. VanVleet set Beard's bail at $2,000, while Karnehm's bail 
was set at $4,000. They were being held in the Durham County jail pending 
an appearance in District Court this morning.

According to the search warrant, Hobart Huson, 33, a chemist from Humble, 
Texas, who co-owns The Science Alliance, which has sold chemicals over the 
Internet, told authorities that on Oct. 4, he processed an order for 
Ecstasy-making chemicals that were delivered to the Duke dorm room Oct. 9.

Police searched the dorm room Tuesday afternoon and seized 13 items, 
including hydrochloric acid, sodium hydrochloride, cans of xylene and 
acetone, scales, drug paraphernalia and goggles, the warrant says.

Under the pseudonym "Strike," Huson wrote "Total Synthesis II," described 
on Amazon.com as "the most comprehensive and detailed book on the 
underground production of Ecstasy and amphetamines ever published." The 
book's disclaimer warns readers of legal and safety hazards of making Ecstasy.

Huson was arrested by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration in June 
and October and is being prosecuted in Arizona and California on Ecstasy 
charges. Authorities were led to the chemist after a Texas raid involving 
one of the nation's largest and most sophisticated Ecstasy labs, which 
produced 1.5 million tablets monthly.

The three defendants in that case told authorities they bought most of 
their chemicals from Huson's firm and learned how to manufacture Ecstasy by 
reading his book. Huson also is one of 24 people being prosecuted in 
California on charges involving another Ecstasy lab.

It couldn't be immediately determined whether Huson's tip on the Duke 
students involved his cooperation with federal prosecutors.
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