Federal court documents unsealed in the wake of the arrest of a York County business owner Salvatore Lopiccolo are giving new insight into a drug ring operating out Lopiccolo's two Hampton Roads-area businesses.
Lopiccolo and four other defendants were arrested by federal agents Thursday after a federal investigation that began nearly two years ago.
In a 13-count indictment handed down by a federal grand jury early this month, Lopiccolo and the four others are accused of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute drugs and drug paraphernalia, money laundering and using a firearm while trafficking drugs.
Lopiccolo owns two Bonsai Pipe & Tobacco locations, one on George Washington Highway in York County and another in Hampton.
Federal prosecutors allege Lopiccolo and his four co-defendants, Matthew Kidd-Hux, Jon Woodin, Marcus Woods and Meghan Stout, of using those stores to distribute a range of illegal drugs.
The federal indictment accuses Lopiccolo and the other defendants of distributing synthetic marijuana, bath salts, cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine and hallucinogenic mushrooms.
The indictment also asks a judge to allow the seizure of money, property, firearms and other items in the event the defendants plead guilty. A subsequent motion says federal prosecutors plan to seize at least $500,000.
