Drug trafficking

Kingpin of Orange County synthetic drug ring pleads guilty to multiple federal charges

An Orange County man indicted for his role in a far-reaching conspiracy to smuggle, manufacture, and distribute more than $12 million worth of analogue drugs pleaded guilty Monday in federal court.

Sean Libbert, 41, of Newport Beach, pleaded guilty to a series of charges related to a scheme to distribute synthetic drugs commonly called “spice” or “bath salts.” Some of the drugs in this case nearly killed a victim who ingested them, according to the 16-count indictment filed in June 2014 that was the first in the Central District of California involving drug analogues.

The charges stem from a nearly three-year investigation targeting the analogue drug ring conducted by the Los Angeles HIDTA (High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) Southern California Drug Task Force, which includes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and IRS Criminal Investigation.

Libbert pleaded guilty to four felony offenses: conspiracy to manufacture, possess with intent to distribute, and distribute controlled substance analogues; conspiracy to smuggle controlled substance analogues into the United States using false statements and fraudulent documents; being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition; and money laundering.