Couple face 98 years in US prison for internet sale of meth precursors

[moda00]

[top]Internet drug rap couple face 98 years in US jail

By David Taylor May 4 2008
Exclusive Accused Of Supplying A £40m Internet Drugs Network, Brian And Kerry Ann Howes Face Extradition To The Usa And The Chance They May Never See Their Four Kids Again
A COUPLE accused of masterminding a £40million internet drugs ring have been told they face 98 YEARS in a US prison.
Brian and Kerry Ann Howes are set to be extradited after raids on their warehouse in Grangemouth by the US Drug Enforcement Agency and police.
Last week the Howes, who face a total of 80 charges, admitted exporting chemicals but claim they did not know they were being used to make highly addictive crystal meth.
They are now preparing for the worst - a life sentence that would separate them from their four young daughters.
Brian said: "We've been told all the charges add up to a possible 98 years.
"The indictment states that selling red phosphorus is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and selling iodine crystals can get you 10 years. Even if it was proven that we didn't sell those two chemicals deliberately for manufacturing meth, we could still face 68 years in jail."
American prosecutors allege the Howes were involved in a £40million drugs ring but the couple, who ran Lab Chemicals International in Bo'ness, West Lothian, say it is a legitimate business, mostly supplying chemicals to make fireworks.
The Howes were targeted in a sting by undercover US officers posing as buyers wanting to order red phosphorous and iodine crystals.
Both chemicals are legal in the UK but strictly regulated in America.
In one email, an undercover investigator wrote: "That last red you sent was some hot s**t...causing my meth lab to catch fire."
Another said: "Can you provide me with a decent recipe? I'm sure you know what I mean...hehe."
Police also claimed to have found a recipe for crystal meth on one of the Howes' 13 computers.
But Brian, 44, claims he cancelled the order when his "client" mentioned crystal meth and did not respond to the recipe request.
He said he kept recipes for hundreds of drugs and explosives to catch anyone he suspected of ordering chemicals for illegal purposes.
Brian said: "The police tried to trap us by making it look like we knew we were supplying drug dealers.
"But after that email mentioned crystal meth, we cancelled the order and informed the Special Branch."
The couple spent seven months in prison without being charged with any offence and are now on bail waiting to find out if the US extradition request will be approved by Scottish ministers.
Brian and Kerry Ann, 30, have two daughters - aged two and five.
She is also mum to two other girls aged nine and 10 from a previous relationship.
Brian said: "If we are taken to the US, the likelihood is that we will never see our children again. It would be tough for me but I don't think Kerry Ann would be able to handle it."
He insisted he has always worked with the police, informing them of any suspicious orders.
He added: "Central Scotland Police Special Branch visited us regularly when I informed them of anything suspicious and they never found anything wrong with what we were doing."
Brian says he and his wife have been left in limbo, unable to work or raise any cash to pay their bills.
He said: "The police have taken everything - cash, bank and credit cards, even the kids' piggy banks."



http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/news/sco...8057-20404198/

Reputation Comments on this post:

Interesting, thanks for sharing.

[beentheredonethatagain]

this was a bigg operation, maybe they should have quit after making millions.

[moda00]

Perhaps, but if they weren't selling them someone else would have taken over, in fact many others have and do sell these chemicals. Meth has damaged people's lives for sure, but taking four young children from their parents is sure to damage lives, without stopping the problem of meth addiction. Perhaps the money and time put into tearing apart this family could have been out into rehabilitation programs for addicts or resources for children of incarcerated parents.

[beentheredonethatagain]

okay you're right, but using the " if they don't sell it someone else will" argument won't hold any water with me.

rob banks because if swiy doesn't someone else will.

[RaverHippie]

this is the first case that I've seen where the "I didn't realize the chemicals were being used for meth" defense looks legitimate given the reporting in the left-leaning article.

[moda00]

Originally Posted by beentheredonethatagain

okay you're right, but using the " if they don't sell it someone else will" argument won't hold any water with me.

rob banks because if swiy doesn't someone else will.

No, I do not mean it in that sense at all. I mean because there are legitimate uses for the chems that they will continue to be sold, so taking down someone under a questionable law based on proving intent as selling this chems for legitimate uses is not illegal nor evil in my book or the book of the law. I don't think harmful or hurtful things should be done just because "someone else will anyways," and think we are all responsible for our own actions, but many chemicals including these are sold daily and will continue to be sold, and as RaverHippie stated it really does seem they didn't intend this for meth and cut off contact with their 'client' when he mentioned it.

Originally Posted by RaverHippie

this is the first case that I've seen where the "I didn't realize the chemicals were being used for meth" defense looks legitimate given the reporting in the left-leaning article.

Yes, and notice that this investigation was not launched because meth labs were found with chems from this couples' business- there is no meth involved in the case from the info in the article- the only meth involved is the implied, non-existent meth that the investigators mentioned in their emails. So not only did the couple "not realize the chemicals were being used for meth," it sounds like there is no proof that they were or are (although I don't doubt that it is a possibility, it sounds like they were very cautious about this, and I don't think it is fair to put someone in jail for life based on a "possibility")

[beentheredonethatagain]

I have a chemistry question , so I'll ask it in the proper sub forum.

[enquirewithin]

Also here:

http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/sho...ht=brian+howes

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United States to Extradite a U.K. Citizen Without Trial in His Country

Brian Howes and his wife Kerry are facing extradition from the United Kingdom to the United States. The couple could face up to 98 years in an Arizona prison on drug charges according to Extradition.org. They are from Scotland and ran a chemical business and are accused of selling materials to be used in the manufacture of Methamphetamine.

Despite the fact that the stuff sold is legal in the United Kingdom the couple faces extradition without a trial to the United States due to a treaty allowing U.K. citizens to be taken to America without a trial. This was implemented after the 9-11 attacks in the United States.

Now I am a right wing conservative and hard on crime but I don't think 9-11 legislation should apply to anything other than terror suspects. Brian and Kerry Howes are not being charged with breaking United Kingdom laws, but rather drug laws here in America. I have no issue with bringing terrorist suspects to the United States without a trial in their own country. But we have plenty of people to prosecute on drug charges here without going to the expense of dragging people to the United States.

The Howes claim they were selling materials to be used in making fireworks and medicine for animals according to a Sunday Post article by Craig Robertson. The Sunday Post comments can be found on the website linked to in the first paragraph of this article.

I must admit I may have a small bias in this case. I am a user of the social networking site Twitter. I first learned of the Brian Howes extradition case on Twitter when I became a follower of Mr. Howes. I usually discount anything remotely Liberal and don't pay much attention to them. But what really got me interested in this case is their large family. Brian and Kerry Howes have 5 children and she was faced with jail time while pregnant. When I talked to Brian via Twitter about this article he told me "we have broken no UK laws so Extradition is Illegal under the treaty: NO Evidence either."

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...se.html?cat=17

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Now if it had been white phosphorus which the US and Israel use in their terror attacks on civilians in Moslem countries that would be OK!