Luzerne County man guilty of "Bath Salts" conspiracy

SCRANTON, Pa. – On May 28, 2019, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jason Randazzo,46, of Mountaintop, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on May 23, 2019, before Senior U.S. District Court Judge James M. Munley, to conspiracy to import into the United States from China alpha-pvp, commonly known as “bath salts.”  The guilty plea follows an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. 

Randazzo admitted to participating in the conspiracy between March 2014 and January 2016. Randazzo was one of seven people indicted by a grand jury in August 2016. That indictment was the fourth indictment resulting from the lengthy investigation into “bath salts” importation and trafficking. In all, 18 people were charged as a result of the investigation, including a Texas-based couple who shipped “bath salts” to customers throughout the United States, including Pennsylvania.

The investigation has resulted in the seizure and forfeiture of several firearms, thousands of dollars in cash, hundreds of silver coins, real property and bank accounts valued at more than $750,000.

Randazzo’s sentencing is scheduled for August 26, 2019.