Antonio Irving Benjamin, a 53-year-old resident of Salem, Oregon, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and conspiracy to launder the proceeds. He also agreed to forfeit assets valued at more than $2 million.
Court documents state that Benjamin, along with co-conspirator Jered Hayward—who had a prior conviction—ran an illegal operation producing and distributing THC and psilocybin products from Salem. Benjamin oversaw the operation and managed employees who infused or sprayed THC oils onto cereal and candy products. These edibles were then packaged in wrappers resembling legitimate consumer food brands and sold both across the United States and internationally. Although there was no evidence that minors were specifically targeted, authorities noted that the packaging posed risks for children due to its similarity to regular food items.
The organization used encrypted messaging platforms such as Telegram for marketing, sales, and order processing. Straw businesses were set up to disguise money laundering activities. The entire operation lacked any permits or licenses required for legal production or sale.
Benjamin’s criminal history includes two previous federal convictions related to cocaine and fentanyl trafficking, qualifying him as a career criminal under federal law.
As part of his plea agreement, Benjamin admitted that several assets were tied directly to drug distribution and money laundering activities. He agreed with Hayward to forfeit various items including the Salem production facility; over $1 million in cash; $640,000 in cryptocurrency and bank accounts; more than $400,000 worth of gold and silver; jewelry including a Rolex watch; twelve vehicles; two UTVs; boats; and property located at 879 Railway Avenue NE in Silverton, Oregon.
Multiple agencies participated in investigating this case: Homeland Security Investigations, Portland Police Bureau, United States Postal Inspection Service, Oregon State Police, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, Salem Police Department, and Washington County Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Kemp Strickland and Christopher Cardani for the District of Oregon.
“This case demonstrates our office’s commitment to holding accountable those who profit from large-scale illegal drug operations,” said Scott E. Bradford, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
