Asheville Citizen-Times: Indictments unsealed in Octopus Garden synthetic marijuana case

Jason Sandford June 27, 2013

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reports on indictments in the Octopus Garden raids around Asheville last year:

The owner of Octopus Garden Smoke Shops, his store managers and employees were charged with conspiracy to distribute synthetic drugs and possession with intent to distribute, according to indictments unsealed Wednesday in U.S. District Court.

The synthetic marijuana was sold at Octopus Garden’s seven locations under various names such as “Zeus Gods of Aroma,” “Bizzaro,” and “Dead and Berry’d,” Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, said in a press release. The offenses happened between September 2011 and December 2012 in Buncombe, Henderson and Transylvania counties, according to the indictment.

The indictment, along with two others and a criminal complaint, charged a total of 30 individuals with synthetic drug-related offenses following a joint local, state and federal investigations from here to Mecklenburg County. The head shops sold synthetic drugs, such as synthetic marijuana, commonly referred to as “K2” or “Spice,” and/or bath salts, according to filed court documents and court proceedings.

Click over to read the names of those indicted.

Photos of the Octopus Garden raid in Asheville late last year. More background here.

Image link for Octopus Garden raid.

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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8 Comments

Orbit DVD June 28, 2013

Is Octopus Garden paying for their employees’ defense lawyers?

Reply
420 June 27, 2013

Greedy idiots. They were making a fortune, selling bongs, glass, and incense long before synthetics came along…they deserve whatever punishment they get….employees included.

Reply
John R. June 27, 2013

So even people who worked there got charged? Bollocks. I have a 3rd degree friend who had a job there – totally unfair that she should now have to have a criminal record just for having a legitimate job. Total horse crap.

Reply
1. Lexingtonian June 27, 2013
  
  It is not legit to sell an illegal substance that turns people into face eating zombies.
  
  I for one am glad that Octopus Garden cannot sell this anymore and agree that the folks that knowingly sold this are criminals and should be treated as such.
  
  Reply
  1. Nate June 28, 2013
    
    Just for the record, the face eating guy had *not* been taking bath salts, and in fact had nothing other than marijuana in his system at the time of the attack.
    
    It seems like most of the reporting (and apparently court documents) in this case lists the synthetic marijuana drugs “and/or” bath salts as if they’re completely interchangeable substances. Seems like the offenses should be sorted out, especially if the synthetic sales were in the months before they were made illegal . . .
    
    Reply
    1. Lexingtonian June 29, 2013
      
      True Nate.
      
      So how about the guy that was driving down the road with a gas pump hanging out of his gas tank as he smoked his “bizarro” freshly purchased in East Asheville….
      
      Is that a better reference for ya?
      
      Reply
  2. John R. June 29, 2013
    
    Not at all – as an employee she had talked customers out of purchasing the product. She had no control over what the owner’s of the establishment chose to sell. A situation of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
    
    Reply
Abraham Lincoln June 27, 2013

If they would just legalize pot, this shit wouldn’t be out there

Reply