By Josh Saul from nypost.com
That’s a pretty dumb move for such a smart fella.
An Ivy League-educated chemist who pleaded guilty to importing over 1,400 pounds of chemicals from China to make synthetic marijuana deserves a stiffer sentence because of the T-shirt he was wearing when federal agents busted him – emblazoned with the same phrase that’s on the controlled substances he smuggled into the country, prosecutors say.
When Adam Libby, 51, was arrested at his home in Charlottesville, Va., in 2013 he was wearing a shirt bearing the phrase: ”Research Use Only! Not For Human Consumption,” Manhattan federal court papers state.
”These are the words that are often printed on packages of analogue controlled substances when they are imported from China, and is also often emblazoned on retail sale packages of synthetic marijuana,” federal prosecutors wrote in their sentencing submission.
”Drug dealers like Libby attempt to evade detection by law enforcement by printing ‘not for human consumption’ on the packages. That Libby wore a t-shirt printed with this phrase illustrates that he his evasion of law enforcement in this manner was at best, merely purposeful, and at worst, arrogant and mocking.”
The Dartmouth PhD pleaded guilty last year to taking part in a conspiracy to import mislabeled chemicals from China so they could be used to make synthetic marijuana.
His defense attorney argued that his t-shirt shouldn’t be a factor when he is sentenced.
”The Government attaches more significance to the shirt than is appropriate to the facts. When the agents appeared at Mr. Libby’s home in 2013 to arrest him it was early morning. Mr. Libby was wearing pajama bottoms and the t-shirt, which in its entirety reads: ”Research Use Only! Not for Human Consumption,”’ attorney Jill Shellow wrote in court papers.
”The slogan is applicable to many legitimate aspects of the work that Mr. Libby has done over the course of his career.”
Libby faces 7 years when he is sentenced June 10.
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