Two Women Sentenced For Role In Bath Salts Conspiracy

SCRANTON—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Treiu Thuy Duong, age 37, of Sarasota, Florida, and Maura Kathio, age 27, of Yatesville, Pennsylvania, were sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion in Scranton, for drug related offenses. 

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Duong, who resided in Texas at the time of her arrest, was sentenced today to serve 70 months in prison and ordered to forfeit her interest in more than $750,000 in assets for her role in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute alpha-pvp, commonly known as “bath salts.”

Duong admitted to conspiring with others to distribute alpha-pvp to customers in at least 32 states, including Pennsylvania, over various web sites during 2011 through March 2014.

Treiu Thuy Duong was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2014.

Judge Mannion ordered the defendant to forfeit to the government her interest in a residence in Texas valued at approximately $300,000, coins valued at more than $260,000, four bank accounts containing over $200,000, two vehicles, over $7000 in cash and more than $17,000 in uncashed money orders, and two firearms. Duong must also spend three years on supervised release following her prison sentence.

Kathio was sentenced to 18 months in prison for her role in a drug conspiracy that distributed alpha-pvp in 2012-2013 in the Luzerne County area. Kathio, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute alpha-pvp. Kathio admitted to participating in the West Pittston-based drug conspiracy and to distributing 150 grams of alpha-pvp, a controlled substance analogue.

Kathio was indicted by a federal grand jury in Scranton in August 2014.

Judge Mannion also ordered Kathio to be placed on three years of supervised release following her prison sentence.

Eleven persons have been charged as participants in the conspiracy which involved wholesale suppliers of alpha-pvp based in Texas, and retail distributors of the drug in Luzerne County. All eleven suspects have entered guilty pleas in the case.

The investigation was conducted by agents of the Department of Homeland Security, the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspectors, the Pennsylvania State Police, and West Pittston Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis P. Sempa prosecuted the case.

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