CITY OF PESHTIGO (NBC 26) -- Two people were arrested in Peshtigo on Wednesday as part of a federal drug trafficking investigation.
41-year-old Tracy Lynn Sheldon and 42-year-old Chad Allen Zeske were taken to Brown County to appear in federal court Thursday on indictments for illegal drug trafficking.
According to a news release from the Marinette County Sheriff, the investigation involved local law enforcement in Northeast Wisconsin, as well as the New York City Police Department and federal investigators.
The news release mentions the direct distribution of deadly smokeable synthetic cannabinoids.
In a criminal complaint, Sheldon and Zeske are accused of operating a scheme to distribute massive amounts of smokeable synthetic cannabinoids (SSC), also referred to as "K2" or "Spice". The complaint said the two defendants imported synthetic cannabinoids from China, including through New York. The complaint said Sheldon and Zeske used legal smoke shops in Michigan and Wisconsin to sell SSC.
The criminal complaint also said a minor bought SSC from one of the defendant's smoke shops and then had a medical episode that included vomiting, difficulty breathing, and loss of consciousness.
According to the complaint, Sheldon texted a co-conspirator after the incident, saying she was limiting her sales for a bit.
If convicted, the defendants could face decades behind bars and million-dollar fines.
