A local prosecutor has offered five convenience store employees – who allegedly sold synthetic drugs while on the job – a plea deal that includes no jail time but fines and probation, and they must decide if they’ll take it.
The employees were charged Jan. 13 with selling a simulated substance after local law enforcement conducted controlled buys at several gas stations and convenience stores to discover the amount of synthetic drugs in Franklin County.
“Bath salts” are a synthetic drug sold in stores – usually in powder form – that people use to get the same high as other drugs such as cocaine.
However, officials have reported that their side effects are more dangerous than the drugs they simulate. Synthetic marijuana was also found during the January roundup.
Among those charged with the misdemeanor offense were Beverly Downs, 27, of Frankfort, at Discount Tobacco; Ankit Paudel, 22, of Frankfort, at Silver Lake Food Mart; Faisal Shah, 30, of Lexington, at Speedy Mart on East Main Street; Feroz Shaik, 35, of Frankfort, at Valero; and Ali Kashif, 35, of Frankfort, at Speedy Mart on Holmes Street.
The employees were allegedly selling the items from the store shelves that were thought to be legal until Franklin County Attorney Rick Sparks decided to use the 1992 state statute in an attempt to stop synthetic drug sales locally.
The employees who were in Franklin District Court Tuesday will be back May 1 to let Judge Kathy Mangeot know whether they will accept the deal.
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