Phoenix man sentenced to 48 months in prison in synthetic drug case

PHOENIX — A Phoenix man who had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance analogue and conspiracy to commit money laundering was sentenced to prison, authorities said Friday .

Forty-four year-old Juan Mark Sayegh was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison, while also having to forfeit $1.7 million in cash, real estate and other assets.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Sayegh from 2010 to 2012 owned and operated Greenlight Distribution that manufactured and distributed synthetic drugs known as “spice” and “bath salts” before operations ceased when it was raided by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

“Synthetic drugs like bath salts and spice inflict incredible damage to communities,” Doug Coleman, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA in Arizona, said. “This investigation demonstrates the commitment of DEA and our federal prosecutors to bringing drug traffickers to face justice in federal court for their crimes against citizens of Arizona and the nation.”

According to the office, the synthetic drugs were manufactured with chemicals imported from China and designed to get users high.

The officer said the drugs were intentionally and falsely mislabeled as innocuous household products in order to circumvent federal consumer and drug laws.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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