Meridian man pleads guilty to importing chemicals for synthetic cannabinoid

Published 12:45 pm Wednesday, October 17, 2018

A Meridian Man pleaded guilty Tuesday to ordering a controlled substance through the mail for the purpose of manufacturing synthetic cannabinoids. 

Bilal Hamid Love, 35, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and up to a $1 million fine and will be sentenced at a later date. Love also pleaded guilty to illegal possession of firearms.

On March 22, 2015, Homeland Security Investigations’ agents and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service found two packages from Hong Kong addressed to Love. The packages contained AB-PINACA, a powder used to make synthetic cannabinoids. 

Agents searched Love’s home and found items used to make synthetic cannabinoid as well as the sporting goods store where Love worked, where they found three firearms and packages of synthetic cannabinoid for sale. 

In addition to the sprayers found at Love’s home, agents also found more firearms, cocaine and marijuana plants.

“Homeland Security Investigations is highly focused on identifying illegal cross-border shipments as one of its highest priorities,” Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans Jere T. Miles said in a statement. “The boldness of this criminal effort to import illegal drugs into the U.S. through the mail seriously underestimated the dedication of HSI and its federal partners to identify and seek prosecution of those engaged in this brazen criminal activity.”

U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics investigated with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the East Mississippi Drug Task Force, the Mississippi State Crime Laboratory and the U.S. Marshal Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Chalk will prosecute.