Shelby Township

Online efforts lead to rally, government response to synthetic drug use/sales

By Brad D. Bates
C & G Staff Writer

» click to enlarge « Photo by Erin Sanchez Diana Parker of Warren was one of several from outside Shelby Township who drove in to join hundreds of like-minded folks at a June 2 protest against the sale of synthetic drugs. Photo by Erin Sanchez Diana Parker of Warren was one of several from outside Shelby Township who drove in to join hundreds of like-minded folks at a June 2 protest against the sale of synthetic drugs.

SHELBY TOWNSHIP — As Kathy Cothran surveyed the crowd of hundreds chanting outside businesses that have sold or sell synthetic drugs — also known as “bath salts” and sold as brand-names K2 and Spice — along Van Dyke Avenue, all she could do was express her gratitude.

What started as a small online effort by Cothran and her boyfriend after his son battled addiction to synthetic marijuana came to a head June 2, and Cothran could hardly believe her eyes.

“When you’re living this nightmare, it’s embarrassing, so you don’t want anyone to know,” Cothran said of the emotions her family overcame before starting the rally cry at www.facebook.com/shelbybank2 page.

“But the more we spoke out, the more we educated people. That’s what is important — that more parents and children know what this stuff is an what it can do.”

Along with hundreds chanting, blowing whistles and waving picket signs, the rally also spurred local government to take action.

It was announced at the rally that the Shelby Township Board of Trustees would be addressing the issue at its June 5 meeting, held after press time.

“I’m here as a parent,” Township Supervisor Richard Stathakis said. “What (Cothran’s family) has had to go through, I have kids, and I can’t imagine what that would be like.”

Cothran saw synthetic marijuana transform her boyfriend’s son into a different person and change almost every facet of her family’s life.

“I had to make my daughters’ lunches in the bedroom closet because if I had food downstairs, it would disappear,” Cothran said. “Everything we owned would disappear, stolen.

“I had to make sure that it was safe for my daughters to go home. I didn’t feel safe with them home alone with him. It’s not that he’s a monster, but because, on this drug, you just don’t know.”

Synthetic drug use has been at the core of several recent tragedies involving teens and young adults around metro Detroit.

Fishermen discovered the body of 18-year-old Oliver Satchel Smith of Bloomfield Township on a beach near Walnut Lake and Franklin roads at roughly 11:20 a.m. May 26, and investigators believed Smith died as a “direct result” of synthetic marijuana.

Synthetic marijuana was referenced throughout testimony May 23 in the 47th District Court in Farmington Hills during the preliminary examination in the case of Tucker Cipriano, 19, and Mitchell Young, 20, who allegedly broke into Cipriano’s family’s home twice the night of April 15 and attacked family members, leaving his father dead and mother and 17-year-old brother critically injured.

Ian Zinderman, a 20-year-old who was the getaway driver, testified that Cipriano and Young bought Spice and smoked it before discussing killing the Ciprianos or another specific family.

“We were just talking about how to get money,” Zinderman said. He said Cipriano and Young wanted to get Spice — a currently legal drug also called synthetic marijuana — and that they would roll it into a joint and smoke it.

“We were going to break in, and Tucker was going to get some money out of his dad’s wallet and use that to get the Spice and get the gas money to get out to Keego Harbor,” Zinderman said.

“They decided on going to the Cipriano house and killing the family,” Zinderman said. He said the men decided that Cipriano would go after his two brothers, and Young would go after Cipriano’s mother, father and 8-year-old sister.

Shelby Township Police Chief Roland Woelkers said he has received numerous calls from parents involving synthetic drugs.

“It’s a huge problem, and unfortunately, it’s accessible to young kids. Unfortunately, it slipped under the radar of government and law enforcement,” said Woelkers, who helped found the township’s and Utica Community Schools’ DARE program.

“In the last year or year and a half, it’s taken off with young kids in junior high or high school,” Woelkers added. “It’s frustrating because if someone calls because of a drug dealer selling LSD or marijuana we can put a stop to it, but we can’t do anything with this.”

During the protest June 2, Derick Dabish, the owner of the Citgo gas station at 46555 Van Dyke Ave. where Cothran said her boyfriend’s son bought synthetic drugs, said his store had pulled the products from its shelves just prior to Citgo corporate banning the substances from all its stores at 6:17 p.m. June 1.

Protestors maintained that Woodstock Tobacco, which is owned and operated by members of Dabish’s family and located at 46699 Van Dyke Ave., was still selling the product even as picketers marched.

Wally Qarana, the owner of A & B Liquor at 46778 Van Dyke Ave., said he pulled the products off of his shelves after hearing the concerns of parents.

“We had parents complaining, and I said we need to help the community out,” Qarana said. “It’s not worth it. We were making money, but it’s not worth it. Hopefully, they’ll ban it, and no one will have to worry about it.”

Qarana said he continues to have five to 10 customers — ranging from teenagers to adults in their 30s, 40s and 50s — looking for the drugs.

“I’m done with it now,” Qarana said. “I hope (other businesses) would (stop). If we don’t help each other, people are going to get hurt. Our customers are like our family.”

That’s the sentiment Cothran hopes eventually leads to the drugs being banned and removed from the reach of her family and community.

“One night we were looking at each other, and it clicked: ‘What can we do?’” Cothran said. “(We) decided we were going to take action. And this isn’t about (our son) anymore. He’s in rehab and doing better. This is for all the other children out there.”

Staff Writers David Wallace and Robin Ruehlen contributed to this report.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Brad D. Bates at bbates@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1029.