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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A Salem man who helped run an illegal operation selling THC and psilocybin products around the world has been sentenced to prison, authorities announced Tuesday.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon said 53-year-old Antonio Irving Benjamin was sentenced to 12 years in prison with five years’ supervised release.
Benjamin’s sentence comes after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and conspiracy to launder the proceeds.
Authorities said Benjamin also agreed to forfeit more than $2 million worth of assets — including his Salem production facility, more than $1 million in cash, along with $640,000 in cryptocurrency and bank account funds. Authorities said the career criminal also agreed to forfeit more than $400,000 in gold and silver, jewelry, a Rolex watch, 12 vehicles, two UTVs, boats and a property in Silverton.
According to court documents, Benjamin and a previously convicted co-conspirator, Jered Hayward, ran a large-scale illegal THC and psilocybin production facility based in Salem.
Authorities noted Benjamin oversaw the operations and managed employees who obtained cereal and candy products and infused or sprayed potent THC oils on them.
Facility employees then put the edibles into packages that looked like legitimate food products – such as Cocoa Puffs or Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal – then sold the products in the U.S. and around the world.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said even though there is no evidence that Benjamin targeted minors while selling the products, “the manner in which his organization packaged the edibles posed a risk to children, who are often unable to comprehend the fine print warnings that the packages contained THC products.”
The organization also used encrypted communications – such as Telegram – to sell and process orders and mask laundering transactions, authorities said, noting Benjamin had no permits or licenses to make or sell the products, adding, “the entire operation was illegal.”
Benjamin has an extensive criminal record, officials said, pointing to his two federal convictions for trafficking fentanyl and cocaine. Because of these convictions, Benjamin is considered a career criminal under federal law.
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Michaela Bourgeois
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