Palm Beach County resident Kevin Raphael Bully, 26, was sentenced to 262 months in prison by United States District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg following his conviction at trial of being a felon in possession of a firearm, conspiring to import and distribute Alpha PVP (a/k/a “Flakka"), and distributing heroin and Xanax.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Adolphus P. Wright, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
This case stemmed from an investigation into the importation of Alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone (“α-PVP"), aka “Flakka," from China into the United States. In March of 2015, as a part of an ongoing investigation regarding the illegal drug trafficking of synthetic cathinones, specifically Flakka, DEA agents received information about suspected narcotics packages being delivered to Palm Beach County. DEA agents in London, England received information from the British authorities regarding multiple packages that were intercepted coming from a chemical company in Hong Kong, China. The Chinese based chemical company had been utilizing a shipping company to transport chemicals to buyers in the United States. The British authorities found approximately seven packages that contained a white crystallized substance which tested positive for the presence of α-PVP. DEA agents in London provided West Palm Beach agents with the packages’ address information and forwarded the deliveries. The local agents, including a law enforcement officer dressed as a DHL employee, delivered a package to the listed address. Bully answered the door of the identified address and took possession of the package upon delivery.
During the course of the investigation, Bully’s cell phone was found to contain text messages discussing the importation and receipt of packages containing Flakka. In July of 2015, Bully was found at a hotel in Boca Raton, Florida, in possession of over 50 grams of heroin, 1,600 tablets of Xanax, a digital scale and packaging used for the distribution of narcotics.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the DEA and support of the United States Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lothrop Morris.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
