Pubdate: Fri, 30 Jun 2006 Source: Charlotte Observer (NC) Copyright: 2006 The Charlotte Observer Contact: http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/78 Author: Steve Lyttle Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) CONVICTED CLERKS SOLD METH INGREDIENTS 2 Employees Sentenced To 1 Year, 1 Day Each For Selling Matches Two Rutherford County convenience store clerks convicted in federal court on methamphetamine-related charges had ignored government warnings that their activities were illegal, prosecutors said Thursday. Niren Patel, 30, who managed the Oakland Quik Mart store in Spindale, was sentenced Wednesday to one year and one day in prison. Nishith "Neal" Suthar, 31, owner of Bon Bon Market in Rutherfordton, received the same sentence April 25. The two men were convicted in September of distributing chemicals and products that can be used for meth production. At the time of their arrest, federal officials said the men had sold large amounts of household matches, containing a key ingredient in meth production. Theirs is thought to be among the first such cases brought by federal officials against store employees in the Carolinas. Suellen Pierce of the U.S. Attorney's office said both Patel, who now lists Charlotte as his home, and Suthar were warned by federal agents over a four-day period in January 2005 that they might be violating federal law. But both men continued selling the products in question, according to testimony given at their trials. The war against methamphetamine has widened to include the retail sale of products used in producing the drug. North Carolina permits the sale of cold medicine containing pseudoephedrine, a key component in meth production, only in small quantities, behind the counter, to adults. In addition, pharmacists must keep records for two years on the sale of such products. South Carolina lawmakers recently approved a similar bill. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek