Oregon Man Gets 12 Years in Prison for Running International THC Candy and Magic Mushroom Ring

A 53-year-old career criminal and resident of Salem, found in possession of 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison. He must also forfeit $2 million in assets, the U.S. Attorney’s Oregon District Office announced yesterday.

He and a Co-Conspirator Operated a Large-Scale Facility in Oregon

Antonio Irving Benjamin operated a large-scale THC and magic mushroom (psilocybin) production and distribution facility in the Oregon capital city.

He was partnered with a previously convicted co-conspirator, Jered Hayward, and was responsible for the supervision and management of employees who infused or sprayed potent THC oils on cereal and candy products.

According to court documents, the edibles were then inserted into packages resembling legitimate consumer food products, which were sold and distributed throughout the U.S. and internationally.

Benjamin and Hayward’s organization used straw businesses to conceal money laundering transactions, and encrypted communications to market, sell, and process orders.

Court documents revealed that their organization was illegal as it was unlicensed and lacked permits to produce and sell the products.

Benjamin is labeled as a career criminal because of an extensive criminal record. He has two previous federal convictions for trafficking in fentanyl and cocaine.

He previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 1,000 kg of marijuana and conspiracy to launder the proceeds. Apart from a 144-month prison term and forfeiture of his assets, Benjamin was also sentenced to five years of supervised release.

Millions of Dollars in Assets Include Property, Cash, Vehicles, Boats, and Jewelry

As part of their guilty pleas, Benjamin and Hayward agreed to forfeit the production facility in Salem, a property located at 879 Railway Avenue in Silverton, more than $1 million in cash, cryptocurrency and bank funds worth $640,000, gold and silver worth more than $400,000, 12 vehicles, boats, and two UTV’s, and jewelry including a Rolex watch.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Oregon State Police, the Salem Police Department, the Portland Police Bureau, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Prosecutors were Kemp Strickland and Christopher Cardani, Assistant United States Attorneys for the District of Oregon.