Pubdate: Fri, 20 Sep 2002
Source: Detroit Free Press (MI)
Contact:  2002 Detroit Free Press
Website: http://www.freep.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/125
Author: David Ashenfelter
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?158 (Club Drugs)

2 INDICTED IN WEB DRUG RING 

Royal Oak Men Accused Of Date-Rape Substances 

Two Royal Oak men were indicted Thursday in what federal authorities
described as an unprecedented attack on Internet trafficking of date-rape
drugs. 

Authorities arrested or indicted 155 people in 84 cities in the United
States and Canada, broke up four Internet drug rings and confiscated more
than $1 million in cash and property. They also confiscated 3,000 gallons of
date-rape drug materials -- enough to produce 25 million doses of
gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and its derivatives. The action capped a
two-year investigation. 

Detroit U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Collins said nine people were indicted Sept.
11 by a federal grand jury in Detroit. The indictment was unsealed Thursday. 

Charged were: Lawrence Waychoff, Arnold Guzman Bati and Julian Xavier Stone,
all of San Diego; Gillian Louise Lash and Anthony Dwayne Way, both of San
Francisco; Brad Olin Wilhelm of Orlando, Fla., and Dewayne Nelson Brown of
Kansas City, Mo. 

The Michigan men were identified as Paul Robert Black, 21, and Michael
Herrell, 30. 

The indictment said Waychoff obtained large quantities of the drugs in
southern California and elsewhere and offered them for sale mainly over the
Internet. Waychoff sold the drugs through a closed e-mail network and
allegedly shipped the drugs by mail, officials said. 

All nine were indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled
substances. Waychoff also was charged with five counts of aiding and
abetting the distribution of drugs and two counts of aiding and abetting
money laundering. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison
and fines of $1 million to $4 million upon conviction. 

The two money-laundering counts represented separate payments totaling
$6,750 he allegedly received from the Detroit area. 

The government said the Michigan men were not in custody, but were aware of
the charges and did not pose a flight risk. It was unclear when they would
be arraigned.
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