Arizona couple pleads guilty to selling dried opium poppy to residents in Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS — A couple from Flagstaff, Arizona, was sentenced Friday to three years in federal prison for distributing dried opium poppy to people in Indianapolis, officials say.

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In a news release, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana said Todd Anderson, 60, and Carolyn Anderson, 58, from Flagstaff, were sentenced Friday to three years each in federal prison for the distribution of opium poppy and morphine after pleading guilty.

Todd Anderson and Carolyn Anderson wanted authorities in Indianapolis and Noblesville to think that they operated a dried floral business online and labeled their packages as “dried decorations,” according to the Indianapolis Star.

It was believed that the couple packaged and shipped hundreds of pounds of dried opium straw in order to be redistributed by others from June 2019 to Aug. 2020, according to the newspaper.

Todd Anderson and Carolyn Anderson used four businesses that were registered in the state of Arizona in order to illegally import the poppy from the United KIngdom, according to the news release obtained by the Star.

Carolyn Anderson on multiple occasions reportedly texted potential buyers in both Indianapolis and Noblesville to buy 10 to 50 pounds of the poppy straw for $125, according to the news release obtained by the newspaper.

The couple was arrested in Arizona and local law enforcement found 499 kilograms of poppy straw. Agents also seized approximately 40 additional kilograms that the couple shipped to customers in Indiana and other locations, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana said.

“Illegal opioid abuse and substance use disorders have driven epidemic levels of overdoses and other traumas suffered by our families, friends, and neighbors,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers in the news release. “The federal prison sentences imposed against these defendants demonstrate that interstate and international drug trafficking schemes carry serious criminal consequences. Our federal prosecutors, along with our outstanding partners in the DEA and USPIS, are committed to making the public safer through investigation and prosecution of those who push dangerous drugs into our communities in search of illicit profits.”

Poppy straw can result in death if ingested incorrectly and is a Schedule II Controlled Substance, according to the Star. It is addictive. Morphine is an active ingredient found in poppy straw.

In addition to the three years in federal prison, both Todd Anderson and Carolyn Anderson will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for another three years and ordered to pay a $15,000 fine, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.