Pubdate: Thu, 17 Oct 2002
Source: Shawnee News-Star (OK)
Copyright: 2002 The Shawnee News-Star
Contact:  http://www.onlineshawnee.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/412
Author: Associated Press
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

STATE, FEDERAL AUTHORITIES TARGET METHAMPHETAMINE

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Six wholesale distributors of pseudoephedrine -- a 
key ingredient in methamphetamine -- were named Wednesday in a civil 
lawsuit filed by the state. One of the wholesalers, Thinh Quoc Kieu, also 
was hit with a three-count federal indictment.

Kieu was accused of two methamphetamine-related offenses and of selling 
phony tobacco tax stamps, said U.S. Attorney Robert McCampbell.

McCampbell said Oklahoma County ranks No. 1 in the nation in the number of 
meth labs and the state as a whole is in the top four in per capita meth use.

The six wholesalers named in the lawsuit filed by Attorney General Drew 
Edmondson operate in the Oklahoma City area and are among 35 
pseudoephedrine wholesalers registered statewide with the Drug Enforcement 
Agency.

Pseudoephedrine is legally sold as an ingredient in over-the-counter cold 
medications.

The idea for the lawsuit developed after the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics 
and Dangerous Drugs Control took evidence against the companies to the 
attorney general.

Malcolm J. Atwood, director of the state drug enforcement agency, said 
about 4,100 methamphetamine labs were seized statewide in Oklahoma from 
1996 through June 2002.

The lawsuit accuses the wholesalers of civil conspiracy, negligence and 
creating a public nuisance by selling large amounts of pseudoephedrine that 
ended up in illegal meth labs.

It also allows violations of the Oklahoma Corrupt Organizations Prevention 
Act, the state's equivalent to the federal RICO Act.

In addition to Kieu, the suit named Moore Services Inc. of Midwest City, 
and Beck Services, Sun Distributing, Stevens Wholesale and Anna Wholesale, 
all of Oklahoma City.

"This is the first state action of its kind in Oklahoma and perhaps the 
nation," Edmondson said. "While the attorney general does not have the 
direct prosecution authority of our district attorneys, we can pursue the 
raw ingredient suppliers for creating a public nuisance and under the 
Corrupt Organizations Prevention Act."

The lawsuit alleges that Beck Services sold more than 5.6 million tablets 
of pseudoephedrine to Oklahoma purchasers during the first seven months of 
the year, while Moore Services sold 1.3 million tablets.

Beck and Moore were accused of splitting invoices as a ploy to allow 
customers to buy large quantities of the drug without appearing suspicious 
to law enforcement.

The federal indictment against Kieu accuses the businessman of offering to 
sell almost two pounds of methamphetamine to an undercover agent.

It said Kieu sold 50,000 tablets of pseudoephedrine to an agent while 
having reasonable cause to believe the substance would be used to make 
meth. It said he also sold 30,000 counterfeited Texas state tobacco tax 
stamps for $5,000.
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