DEA Seizes Six Gallons Of PCP In Detroit Michigan
Largest seizure of PCP ever recorded by DEA in Michigan
DETROIT, MI - United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade and U.S. Drug Enforcement (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Robert L. Corso announced today that on February 13, 2011, Eric Mitchell, a resident of Carson, California, was arrested for his role in a large (PCP) distribution ring in southeast Michigan. This ongoing investigation resulted in the seizure of more than six gallons of PCP in Detroit on February 13, 2011. This is the largest seizure of PCP ever recorded by the DEA in Michigan.
“This drug is infamous for causing users to act irrationally or violently, and is most often used in conjunction with marijuana,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Corso. “Equally as important is that it is such a volatile substance that it has the potential to ignite, explode or emit dangerous (hydrogen cyanide) even when left unattended, making it dangerous not only to the user, but also to anyone in the vicinity of the drug. A seizure of this size puts a significant dent in the availability of a very dangerous drug throughout Metro Detroit.”
On February 14, 2011, Mitchell appeared on a criminal complaint before District Court Magistrate Judge R. Stephen Whalen and was released on a $150,000 bond secured by real property in California. A criminal complaint is only a charging document and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial at which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Mitchell faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and up to life imprisonment, if convicted.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carl Gilmer-Hill.