USA - 30 Years For Iodine

[Nagognog2]

Man gets 30 years for selling iodine
June 16, 2006

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --A garden center owner was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison Friday for selling iodine used to make methamphetamine in Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.

Joseph Swafford, 62, also must forfeit his business, Broadway Home and Garden Center, to the government. He declined to comment at his sentencing.

A jury in March convicted Swafford and his business of conspiring to aid illegal drug-making by selling iodine to customers who used it to make methamphetamine. He was not accused of making the drug.

U.S. District Judge Curtis L. Collier said the 30-year sentence would hopefully "deter those who might be tempted to make the same bad choice you made."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Perry Piper said the three-year investigation included an agent warning Swafford to be on guard against selling iodine to those who could be using it to make the drug.

Collier said evidence showed Swafford sold enough iodine -- more than 2,500 gallons of liquid iodine and almost 3,000 pounds of iodine flakes and pellets -- to manufacture more than 400 kilograms of meth.

Officials said Swafford's profits from selling iodine exceeded $750,000.

Swafford's attorney, Howell Clements, said at the trial that his client had nothing to do with making methamphetamine and never tried to hide his sales of iodine.

Methamphetamine is typically cooked from a recipe that includes toxic household and workplace products, such as iodine, and cold medicine containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine.

Reputation Comments on this post:

	extremely helpfull. up ya go.
	a shocking article.!.
	good post ¤!¤
	A noteworthy post made, causing debate! :-)

[IHrtHalucingens]

This is so retarded. First off doesnt sentencing someone to rediculous time for a crime in order to deter others from making the same choice fall under cruel and unusual punishment. I hate it when the courts take it upon themsleves to use someone as an example. Anyways how could he know that the people he was selling the iodine ot were using it to make methamphetamines or for a legitimate use. Even if he asked them they would most surely lie to him and tell him it was for some legal use. Its bullshit that store owners and retailers can be held responsible for what their customers do with their products. Did they catch the people buying the iodine making meth? or did they just assume the $750,000 in iodine sales had to be for the manufacturing of illegal drugs? grr haha these kinds of stories make me so angry.

Reputation Comments on this post:

great post

[Alfa]

Here is the background:

Meth Cookers Tell Of Bulk Iodine Buys At Broadway Home And Garden
posted February 27, 2006

Former meth cooker Steven Addison testified Monday morning in Federal Court that he bought iodine flakes and iodine liquid from Joe Swafford at Broadway Home and Garden on South Broad Street on and off from 2001 until Swafford was arrested in Oct. 2004.

And officials of two large equine product wholesalers said Swafford was their biggest iodine customer by far.

Swafford is standing trial on charges of selling large amounts of iodine that was used in meth production. His attorneys say he did not know what the iodine was being used for.

Addison said when he went in the store there were usually no other customers. Each time he would go to a particular aisle to get the iodine. He said one day the iodine was not there and he noticed someone else in the store. When he went to talk to Swafford, Swafford pointed to a piece of paper he was holding that had the insignia of a law enforcement agent, said Addison.

Addison said while the agent was there, Swafford started talking to Addison about other products he would sell.

Addison said he went to Broadway about every week or every other week and usually got around a pound of iodine flakes and sometimes two pounds. Later he started buying liquid iodine instead. Each time Addison said would tell Swafford that it was for his horses, though he did not own any.

Jerry Lowery testified that he was contacted by County Lt. Tommy Farmer to work as a confidential informant. He wore a body wire while he went to Swafford to buy iodine on several occasions. He said the first time he purchased three two-ounce bottles of iodine and Swafford explained how to get rid of the impurities.

The informant said he told Swafford that he was purchasing the iodine for his horses. Swafford asked him what type of horses he liked and he said, “Just about anything.”

On one occasion when he went to buy iodine, Swafford asked if it was for his horses and he replied, “Of course, it’s for a horse. His name is Mr. Ed.” He said Swafford laughed.

The informant said the next time he went to buy iodine, another customer was in the store, so Swafford told him to wait about pulling out the cash until after the customer had left.

The jury listened to several taped conversations between the informant and Swafford.

Police Officer and certified ferrier Jason Whittemore also testified. As a ferrier, Officer Whittemore said the most iodine he has used at a time on a horse was “a pinch.” He said iodine is sometimes used during procedures, such as removing an abscess in a hoof. He said if the horse is bleeding, a “sprinkle of iodine with turpentine” might be used to stop the bleeding.

Also, if the horse is cut during the procedure, he said sometimes iodine and sugar are mixed, creating a paste that is placed in a diaper and taped to the horse’s hoof. He noted that only small amounts are used and often the iodine is diluted.

“I would never use large amounts,” said the officer. He named all of the supplies he carries in his truck to tend to horses. ”Iodine is not something I usually keep in my truck,” he said. “The most I have ever had at a time was half an ounce.”

Prosecutor Paul Laymon said Swafford had about 2,410 pounds of iodine flakes. Officer Whittemore said he didn’t think anyone in this region could use that much iodine for horses.

Tim Witt of Holt Products in Wisconsin said Broadway was a big customer of iodine beginning in March 2000. He said he bought 441 pounds of iodine until the firm stopped selling it by the pound, and he bought 1,178 gallons of iodine.

He said often his orders were marked "rush" and requested overnight shipment.

The witness said the firm sold Swafford iodine at $17.50 a gallon and $43.50 a pound. It was testified that one meth cooker paid Swafford $55 a gallon and $115 a pound.

The Holt Products official was asked if he was surprised by the large iodine order. He said, "Only in retrospect."

Questioned by attorney Tom Greenholz, he said he was not worried about being prosecuted for selling the large quantities of iodine.

Bradley Simon of Gateway Products in Holly, Colo., told of selling thousands of pounds of iodine to Broadway from July 30, 2002 to May 2004.

He said when he got the first large order, he contacted a Drug Enforcement Agency officer in Denver who had warned about the use of iodine in meth. He said he continued to inform the agent about the Swafford orders. He said the agent told him to continue the bulk sales.

He said Swafford paid by credit card, which he said was unusual. He said most merchants wanted additional time so they could clear the merchandise off their shelves.

He said he stopped selling to Swafford when he would not sign a form saying if they had a legal dispute that the matter would be handled in Colorado.

Former meth cooker Johnny Smith told of making numerous iodine purchases at Broadway. He said, "The place was always empty. That made it more comfortable."

Smith, who is serving an 87-month federal sentence for a meth conviction, said he was using liquid iodine, but Swafford pulled out a container of crystal iodine from under the counter. Smith said he told Swafford, "That's exactly what I'm looking for."

Smith said he always paid Swafford in cash.

Smith said at one time he would get the ephedrine he needed for meth from a store owner in Rossville. He said he paid the man "a large amount of money" in order to get bulk amounts of ephedrine. He said that worked "until the man was murdered in a robbery."

Smith said a pound of iodine would make about half a pound of meth. He said he could get up to $600 or $700 a pound for the meth.

Smith said he was arrested by federal authorities on Sept. 15, 2002. He indicated he continued to make meth until his sentencing, saying he would send others for the ingredients.

Attorneys Paul Cross and Howell Clements are representing Swafford. Judge Curtis Collier is overseeing the trial. Upon request by the jury, Judge Collier is allowing the trial to be recessed on both Wednesday and Friday afternoons.
http://www.thechattanoogan.com/artic...icle_81116.asp

Reputation Comments on this post:

a good background article.!.

[Alfa]

Maybe this will explain why sources for watched chemicals are not allowed on this site. (including the sources forums & PM)

Reputation Comments on this post:

so true....

[snapper]

They might have cut the guy some slack considering that the 2 year investigation at his expense netted them a whole lotta info on a whole lotta cooks - me might as well have cut a deal with them first.

Snapper

[Equality]

Damn am i glad i dont live there, if its a legal product to sell how in the name of god are they going to sentence someone to 30 years for selling it!!!??

Then they should arrest the importer and the manufacturer and why not the inventor of iodine!

Only in the USA...

[wertfun]

Originally Posted by Equality

Damn am i glad i dont live there, if its a legal product to sell how in the name of god are they going to sentence someone to 30 years for selling it!!!??

Then they should arrest the importer and the manufacturer and why not the inventor of iodine!

Only in the USA...

I think in this case it's proofed that he knew exactly what is going to happen to iodin when selling it. If it wouldn't have been proofed no one goes prison for 30 years for sellin iodin! No way! it would be very wierd..

[Equality]

Originally Posted by wertfun

I think in this case it's proofed that he knew exactly what is going to happen to iodin when selling it. If it wouldn't have been proofed no one goes prison for 30 years for sellin iodin! No way! it would be very wierd..

How can you prove without a reasonable doubt that he knew what was going to happen to that stuff?

And weird? Well a lot of weird things seem to happen there

[wertfun]

Originally Posted by Equality

How can you prove without a reasonable doubt that he knew what was going to happen to that stuff?

And weird? Well a lot of weird things seem to happen there

I don't know but it is out of mind to put some one in jail (30 years or whatever) without proof of his guiltiness. In the write up there are some parts like witnesses, etc. e.g;

"The witness said the firm sold Swafford iodine at $17.50 a gallon and $43.50 a pound. It was testified that one meth cooker paid Swafford $55 a gallon and $115 a pound."

And two witness againts one may be a proof. For example the price difference to the meth cooker is something. I don't know, I am not lawyer or something but there must be certain proof without no question that he knew that he is selling iodin for drug manifacturing.If not it is disappointment for me about USA.OK i know about Bush but this is more than Bush. If this kind of weird things happening there I would like very much to go to America as a tourist. I am sure I 'll have more fun then a jeep safari in Africa.

[radagast]

whatever next? they'll be locking up supermarket staff for selling bicarb next or maybe newsagents for selling matches which could be used for illegal practices.
they should be locking up the fat cats from the snack food and fast food industries for adding known carcinogenics to our food but no.they pay large amounts of money to peddle their sh*t, whereas this individual hadnt paid enough back handers or didnt know the right people.
this sort of thing makes me sick

Reputation Comments on this post:

very well said.!.

[Psych0naut]

IF it was true what was stated in the newsarticle, then Swafford must have known what he was doing and what it was/might be use for.
Though 30 years is still way to much, some people even get less for murder.

[Alfa]

I suspect that in the eyes of the law, he has helped produce over 400kg's of meth, which has put the lives of about 400.000 people at in danger. That would explain the 30 years.

Reputation Comments on this post:

you are intelligent about explaining why 30 years

[StigmataLectron]

Woah! This is like arresting a hardware store owner for selling tools used to chainsaw someone's head off and sentencing them for the rest of their life.

We have got to overthrow the government.

[ncls_flamel]

30 Years jail for selling iodine,sounds american way of live.............

[garbled]

People ARE evil in this world, especially lethargic, apathetic people. It's easier for them to point their finger at a man who sold iodine than it is to take control of their own live and be responsible for their own actions. The *real* evil people are the ones who want to tell everyone else how to live their own lives, when they can't control themselves.

Congressmen, who spend every day making law after law after law trying to tell me what I can and can't do, are offended when they get caught as child pornsters, alcoholics, or bankrupt. They are evil.

Reputation Comments on this post:

well said

[English_T]

what about locking up all the retailers that sell tobacco for the millions they kill and maim each year??...no,no, I suppose those tax dollars are little more important than consistent policies. The whole set-up is a total fucking mess, hypocritical, and an afront to genuine democracy.

[Paracelsus]

agree with swienglish, tobacco and alcohol killed 520.000 in the year 2000 only in the US, while all illicit drugs combined killed 17.000.

i dont know much about the tax thing, but i think illegal drugs would make good taxes too. imho, the media is the evil thing in this and they spread rumors and disinfo about illicit drugs, while tolerating tobacco and alcohol.

and i think its immoral to send an old man like Swafford to jail for 30 years which is lifetime for one like him, without even proving that he knew about the meth cooking. And everybody thinks the US is democracy and the land of the free.......sad.

.

[BIG-TRON]

Welcome to the new World & it's order! thank 'the crazies' aka neo-cons such as wolfowitz and cheney for turning the USA a total police-state...Hell it's like 1939-1945 revisited.....

[Rio Fantastic]

30 years?

For selling a legal product?

Damn, this guy needs better lawyers.

[beentheredonethatagain]

Money is the motive, the man was offered extra cash for the watched chemicals , he knew the items in question were on the list , it sounds like the DEA came to him before and made them selves visiable. He got greedy and thats what happens to many a man.
I am not in favor of the government in my medicine cabinet, no far from it, but I know that if the feds warned me and i did't pay attention to it then, I would be a dumb bell, like him

[Dole654]

I agree that the warning from the feds should have jostled something deep in this guy's brain, but why should it even matter - even if he knew what it was going to be used for? It's still a legal product. People sell guns, assumingly knowing that at least some of them are going to be used to shoot people...

[Bikelbees]

I think that the prosecution are arguing that because he was put on notice about a problem (which is clearly impossible to police anyway given its a legal product), meant to the court that he must of been making these sales knowingly or at least recklessly. Concerning his knowledge of the illegal activity and whether that makes him culpable if proven; if he is so knowingly or recklessly involved in manufacture then he is guilty and alternatively also with the inchoate offences of conspiracy / joint enterprise. Anyone knowingly involved, even theoretically someone who just makes the tea, is offending. The gun store owner who supplied a person whom had declared their intention to seek revenge on someone would IMO be complicit in the crime even though their degree of causation appears nil but is a link which could readily be demonstrated given their knowledge of the situation. Here because they told him they assume he was at least reckless, but that does put a hefty burden of responsibility of the bona fide business person.

Reputation Comments on this post:

I agree , its clear

[Felonious Skunk]

I'm waiting for hydrogen to be put onto List I.

That'll solve the "drug problem."

[Bikelbees]

Helium will then be next for sure

[Felonious Skunk]

^^^^ It's been my secret dream to see birthday party clowns end up in prison.

<high-pitched helium voice> Society will be saved at last!