Six in Arkansas charged in nationwide synthetic drug probe

This poster at a news conference shows the six suspects charged and six locations searched as part of a federal probe into synthetic drug sales in Little Rock. Counterclockwise from top left: Amjad Kattom, Yousef Qattoum, Abdul Aziz Farishta, Adam Kattoum, Eassa Rawashdeh and Sahar Kattom.
This poster at a news conference shows the six suspects charged and six locations searched as part of a federal probe into synthetic drug sales in Little Rock. Counterclockwise from top left: Amjad Kattom, Yousef Qattoum, Abdul Aziz Farishta, Adam Kattoum, Eassa Rawashdeh and Sahar Kattom.

Six people in Arkansas are facing federal charges in the local arm of a nationwide investigation into synthetic drugs, authorities said Wednesday.

Amjad Kattom, 36, Sahar Kattom, 34, Yousef Qattoum, 37, Abdul Aziz Farishta, 50 and Adam Kattoum, 20, each made initial appearances in U.S. District Court Wednesday. A sixth, Eassa Rawashdeh, 23, is still being sought.

The group is suspected of distributing synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones from businesses in Little Rock, including Sunshine Food, Sunshine Mart and Hip Hop Sportswear, according to information released at a news conference at Drug Enforcement Administration headquarters in Little Rock. The suspects are described as owners of the businesses.

Synthetic or designer drugs are marketed as a variety of products including K2, Spice, herbal incense, bath salts and plant food, authorities said.

"Many people have the misconception that these drugs are not dangerous or that they are not illegal," U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas Christopher Thyer said. "Both of those two assertions are categorically false."

The arrests are part of Project Synergy, a 35-state investigation that authorities are calling the largest-ever probe into designer drugs. More than 75 arrests have been made nationwide and more than $15 million in cash and property has been seized, officials said.

The local investigation, named Operation Spicy Possum, involved 75 law enforcement officers searching the businesses and making arrests early Wednesday. Officials said two others arrested during the operation face state charges.

Bill Bryant, assistant special agent in charge of the DEA in Little Rock, said additional charges and arrests are possible.

The local investigation's name, Bryant said, is a combination of a slang term for one of the drugs and a reference to how possums play dead.

"I don't name these," Bryant said. "I just get stuck explaining them."

Each suspect faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

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