NEWS

Springfield man gets 7 years in prison for role in K2 distribution conspiracy

Harrison Keegan

A Springfield man was sentenced to seven years in federal prison without parole for his role in a conspiracy to distribute more than $1 million of synthetic marijuana, known as K2, according to a news release from the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

Travis "Donkey" Butchee, 38, of Springfield, was also ordered to forfeit to the government more than $1.3 million, which represents the proceeds of the mail fraud for which Butchee and his co-defendants are liable, according to the release.

In October 2013, Butchee pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to commit mail fraud and to participating in a conspiracy to commit money laundering, the release says.

Butchee admitted, according to the release, that between March 2011 and June 2013, he and others conspired to distribute a number of synthetic marijuana products labeled as incense or potpourri not intended for human consumption, when in reality the substances contained compounds that were intended for use as a drug.

According to the release, the conspiracy was responsible for the manufacture and/or distribution of at least 188 kilograms of synthetic marijuana products.

Butchee's wife, Victoria Butchee, also known as Victoria Wohlin, 29, of Springfield, has pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing, according to the release.

Michael J. Saguto, 44 of Kirbyville also received a seven-year sentence after pleading guilty to the same two conspiracy charges as Travis Butchee, according to the release. Christian L. Turner, 46, of Kirbyville, received a nine-year sentence for his role in the conspiracy, the release says.

Travis Butchee is the owner of The Man Cave, a retail business at 1927 S. Glenstone Ave. in Springfield, the release says.

Plea agreements for Travis Butchee and Saguto cite a number of transactions in which materials used to manufacture and distribute synthetic marijuana were shipped via UPS or FedEx, according to the release. Butchee and Saguto also admitted they conducted financial transactions involving the money raised in the mail fraud conspiracy and planned to wire funds to China to carry out the conspiracy, the release says.

This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver, according to the release. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Combined Ozarks Multi-jurisdictional Enforcement Team and the Springfield Police Department, the release says.