In two separate incidents, two residents have been convicted drug crimes in Virginia, specifically the importation of narcotics. They have allegedly imported large quantities of an Ecstasy-like stimulant called methylone.
Keith Allen Taylor, 28, received more than 11 years in federal prison for importing more than 74 pounds. Caroline Elizabeth Taylor received eight years for importing more than 13 pounds.
They were both referred to as “armchair drug dealers” by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Cross said in U.S. District Court. The convicts accepted ordering drugs from a laboratory in China which is why they are labeled as “armchair drug dealers” but they were held to be “drug dealers nonetheless.”
Import of methylone is relatively new to the American drug history. It is a white crystalline powder which was initially patented for being an anti-depressant. Its abuse has been seen by snorting, swallowing or mixing into drinks. The drug gained popularity in the United States in 2011 as a club drug popular at raves and electronic-music shows.
According to court documents, Keith Taylor and Caroline Taylor were involved in similar but separate conspiracies.
In separate hearings, the attorneys of the two drug dealers asked the court for leniency. The leniency was sought on otherwise good records of their clients and that they were good people with only minor criminal records. They also felt that their clients’ co- operation with law enforcement agencies and the streak to take the responsibility for their actions were noteworthy and hence deserved leniency.
District Judge Mark S. Davis vehemently responded against this plea for leniency and said that drugs are a poison to the community. And leniency could be observed only if the quantities involved were only a little higher than the prescribed limit. In one of the cases, the import was as high as seventy four pounds, as noted in Keith Taylor’s case.
