Antonio Irving Benjamin, a 53-year-old resident of Salem, Oregon, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and conspiracy to launder the proceeds. He also agreed to forfeit assets valued at more than $2 million.
Court documents state that Benjamin, along with co-conspirator Jered Hayward—who has a prior conviction—ran an illegal THC and psilocybin production and distribution operation based in Salem. Benjamin oversaw operations and managed employees who infused or sprayed THC oils onto cereal and candy products. These edibles were then packaged to resemble legitimate consumer food items and distributed across the United States and internationally. Although there was no evidence that minors were deliberately targeted, authorities noted that the packaging could pose a risk to children due to its resemblance to regular food products.
The organization used encrypted messaging platforms such as Telegram for marketing, sales, and order processing. Straw businesses were used to conceal money laundering activities. The entire operation lacked any legal permits or licenses.
Benjamin’s criminal history includes two previous federal convictions for cocaine and fentanyl trafficking, classifying him as a career criminal under federal law.
As part of his plea agreement, Benjamin consented to forfeit significant assets connected to the drug trafficking and money laundering scheme. Items forfeited by Benjamin and Hayward include the Salem production facility; over $1 million in cash; $640,000 in cryptocurrency and bank account funds; more than $400,000 in gold and silver; jewelry including a Rolex watch; twelve vehicles; two UTVs; boats; and property located at 879 Railway Avenue NE in Silverton, Oregon.
The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations, Portland Police Bureau, United States Postal Inspection Service, Oregon State Police, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation division, Salem Police Department, and Washington County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kemp Strickland and Christopher Cardani.
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