Police: $50,000 worth of ‘bath salts’ drug delivered to Carmichaels Post Office
A six-month investigation resulted in an arrest after police said $50,000 worth of the synthetic drug known as “bath salts” was delivered to the Carmichaels Post Office.
Cumberland Township Police were investigating Seth Branden Hillier, 27, of Crucible after discovering suspicious packages from Germany and China were being mailed to the Carmichaels and Crucible post offices.
Bath salts, or synthetic cathinones, are classified as a “new psychoactive substance” (NPS), which were made illegal in the commonwealth in 2011. The drug is not related to epsom salts used during bathing. The synthetic drug can cause “excited delirium” or “extreme agitation and violent behavior” that can result in kidney failure and breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue, according to drugabuse.gov.
Police received notification Friday that a package had come into the post office for Hillier from Germany. The package, which was marked “clothing labels,” contained 500 grams of the chemical FUB-AMB. The street value of the drug is $100 per gram, according to court documents.
Officers set up surveillance and saw Hillier retrieve the package. Police pulled over the vehicle for a traffic violation, and said they could see smoking devices for bath salts in plain sight. Hillier was taken into custody along with the driver, who had not been charged early Tuesday. Police said the driver had bath salts in his pocket.
Hillier admitted the package contained bath salts, and said he had sold the drug to several people before, according to court documents.
Police said they also found a digital scale and other paraphernalia.
Hillier is charged with possession with intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
He was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Lee Watson and lodged in Greene County Prison in lieu of a $75,000 bond.
His preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for 1 a.m. May 31 before Watson.