Katy man pleads guilty in multi-state drug ring

Charles William Carlton, 29, was the 15th person ensnared in "Operation Stolen Youth." Charles William Carlton, 29, was the 15th person ensnared in "Operation Stolen Youth." Photo: HOPD Photo: HOPD Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Katy man pleads guilty in multi-state drug ring 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A Katy man accused of participating in a drug conspiracy that led to the deaths of two teenagers hundreds of miles away pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to several drug charges.

Charles William Carlton, 29, pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute a slew of controlled substances that caused serious bodily injury or death, introduction and delivery of a misbranded drug and money laundering.

In the North Dakota federal court, he also pleaded guilty to possessing and intending to distribute drugs like cocaine, marijuana and ecstasy.

His attorney, Alexander F. Reichert, could not be reached for comment.

The maximum penalty for the charges is life in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for May 27. As part of his plea deal, he must forfeit $385,000, according to court records.

Wide network

Federal authorities say Carlton was the 15th person ensnared in "Operation Stolen Youth," an investigation into the alleged drug trafficking network that ranged from Texas to North Dakota and into other states, including Mississippi, Minnesota and beyond.

Federal officials said Carlton's online business, Motion Resources, imported illegal substances, including hallucinogens, from abroad and then sold them online throughout the United States.

The investigation was unusual because it traced the drugs from the site where they killed Christian Bjerk, 18, from North Dakota, and Elijah Stai, 17, from Park Rapids, Minn., all the way to the source of the substances in countries like China, Poland, Greece and Canada.

'Analogue' substances

The two teens - who, by all accounts, did not know each other - died days apart in June 2012.

According to authorities, Carlton's company sold illegal "analogue" substances, used to make synthetic drugs that mimicked the effects of drugs like LSD, cocaine or marijuana.

Bjerk was found dead from an overdose on a stranger's front yard, the Chronicle previously reported. Stai reportedly ate the drugs after they were mixed with melted chocolate.

According to federal court records, the drugs also seriously injured another person in North Dakota and forced others to be hospitalized in North Dakota and Minnesota.

U.S. Attorney Christopher C. Myers did not return calls seeking comment.