FORT SMITH — Sebastian County prosecutors said they are deciding what charges to file after police raided two Fort Smith convenience stores and seized synthetic marijuana.
“I can’t say who we’ll charge yet because we’ve not made a final decision,” Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jason Hunter said Thursday.
Hunter said the charges could be filed as early as today, though details of the case were still being sorted out Thursday, a day after police raided the two businesses.
Fort Smith police seized 11 pounds of synthetic marijuana, which is a controlled substance known as “K2”; assorted drug paraphernalia and $18,000 in cash from Fenny’s Convenience Store at 3515Towson Ave. and Bill’s Short Stop at 3825 Jenny Lind Road, police Capt. Jamie Hammond said.
Hammond said police received several reports of local businesses selling the drug, including a complaint from awoman who said her son committed suicide after smoking the drug. Hammond declined to give further details about the suicide report.
Hammond said the drug - which is marketed as incense - can cause hallucinations and paranoia.
Hunter said possessing 14 grams or more of synthetic marijuana with the purpose of selling it is a felony. Possessing less than 14 grams is a misdemeanor.
Both of the stores are managed by Haroon Zaman, who could face felony charges, said Detective Cody Elliott of the police department’s Street Crimes Division.
Hammond said the stores were selling the drug in 1-, 2- and 4-gram containers at $20 a gram. He said the drug was being openly sold at the two stores for about eight months.
Hammond said a store manager told police he thought it was legal to sell the drug and produced a lab report provided by the drug’s distributor that claimed the drug is legal to sell.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 8 on 12/30/2011