HARRISONBURG, Va. – A Virginia man who sold Smarties laced with an illegal drug now knows how long he'll spend in prison.
Christopher Sweeney II, 21, of Cross Junction, Virginia, was Wednesday in federal court sentenced to four years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
He pleaded guilty in February, to one count of conspiracy to ship and receive a misbranded drug with the intent to defraud and mislead.
Evidence revealed Sweeney bought Smarties candy laced with flubromazolam on the "dark web" and resold them for a substantial profit.
Flubromazolam is a synthetic drug not approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration because it is toxic and can be fatal if ingested.
Sweeney told his customers the substance was "Xanax" or "like Xanax," even though he knew purchasers were having car accidents after taking it.
“It is unfortunate that we could only prosecute this serious crime with tragic consequences under the FDA’s misbranding statute,” said Acting United States Attorney Rick Mountcastle.
Sweeney distributed Smarties laced with flubromazolam to a female victim in 2015, who formerly resided in Winchester, Virginia.
That flubromazolam contributed to her overdose and death.