Six men, including three former University of Wisconsin students, will be sentenced Friday today at the federal courthouse in downtown Madison for their involvement in a drug ring responsible for distributing roughly 100,000 ecstacy pills over a course of two years.
Ashkan Faradieh, a 22-year-old Oshkosh native, who lived on the 500 block of University Avenue while studying at UW, was arrested last spring and pleaded guilty to ecstasy distribution in September.
Faradieh completed his Bachelor’s degree in communications arts this summer while released from custody.
Ghassan Majdalani, 22, who lived on the 300 block of West Dayton Street while studying at UW, also pleaded guilty in September to an ecstasy distribution charge.
Matthew Louie, who resided on the 400 block of West Washington Ave, pleaded guilty in August to distribution of the drug.
The three each face up to 20 years in a federal prison.
All were indicted in April by U.S. attorney Grant Johnson, who alleged they were involved in a plan to ship thousands of pills from Pennsylvania and Florida to Wisconsin before selling it on and around the UW campus.
Assistant District Attorney Tim O’Shea, who prosecuted the three men, said investigators intercepted an ecstasy shipment exceeding $31,000 in value.
The indictment alleges Ashkan Faradeih, Majdalani and Louie conspired with Paymon Farhadieh, Steven Larson and Augusto Rodriguez to move more than 100,000 pills of Ecstasy between January 2000 and Dec. 10, 2001. Paymon Farhadieh, 23, of New York City, pleaded guilty to distribution, Larson, 25, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty in September and Augusto Rodriguez, 24, of Miami, also pleaded guilty in September.
Ecstasy is most often distributed at raves, rock concerts and nightclubs. An overdose of the drug could produce high blood pressure, faintness, panic attacks, seizures and a drastic rise in body temperatures, according to a report by the United States Department of Justice.
Johnson suggested the arrest and conviction of the three should stand as an example of increasing government crackdown on those dabbling in ecstasy distribution.
“[Ecstasy] is a growing problem in the western district of Wisconsin, especially on college campuses,” Johnson said in the indictment. “Users should be aware of its great dangers, and dealers should know that they face very severe penalties. Federal law enforcement authorities will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute [ecstasy] cases.”
The bust prompted local authorities to look closer into the ecstasy subculture.
Just two weeks after the trio’s arrest, police arrested 10 on drug charges at a rave held at the Alliant Energy Center.
