2nd man sentenced in designer drug death

ANCHORAGE — A second person implicated in the importation of a designer drug that killed a Wasilla man in 2012 has been sentenced to prison time.

Chad Cameron, 19, of Wasilla, received one year in prison for helping import the drug methylone from China. The drug has multiple street names including “Molly” and “MDMC.”

Matt Scott, 20, died after taking the drugs during a three-day party at the Anchorage condo of Robin Gattis. Gattis, son of state Rep. Lynn Gattis, R-Wasilla, was sentenced Dec. 5 to 16 years in prison for his role in Scott’s death.

Cameron’s role in the drug conspiracy was to wire money to China to buy drugs. He did that in November 2011 when he was still a juvenile and again in June 2012, after Scott died.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, federal judge Ralph Beistline, in handing down the sentence, described designer drugs as an epidemic in the community.

“Cameron told the judge that the drugs were his ‘escape’ and said ‘I did it for fun.’ Cameron said that he thought it was ‘no big deal’ to sell the drugs, and that he expected ‘at most a ‘slap on the wrist’ if he were caught,” according to the press release.

In documents filed prior to his sentencing, Cameron’s attorney describes him as chastened and remorseful.

“Mr. Cameron was initially incarcerated following his arrest, and the shock of that imprisonment with violent, significantly older offenders still reverberates with him. He then spent a significant period of time in the (24-hour) sight and sound custody of a third-party custodian, his father. He was released from that requirement in May 2013, after almost a year. Since that time, he has pursued employment and college correspondence courses. Unfortunately, due to his impending sentencing, it has been difficult for him to maintain employment.

“He is remorseful for his actions, and has accepted responsibility, but is fearful about the reality of incarceration in a federal prison system in light of his youth and relative inexperience,” the document reads.

The lawyer, Phillip Paul Weidner, notes that Cameron didn’t get into much trouble before the case and intends to get a college degree and become a productive member of society when he is released from prison.

“Chad was only 17 and was living away from home when he became involved with Robin Gattis and methylone. Chad and Robin Gattis moved in together. Leaving home at a young age, he was somewhat dependent on Mr. Gattis, impressionable, and easily influenced by the older teen,” Weidner writes.

He said that Cameron comes from a hard-working military family and has close ties to his community.

“Chad is a ‘people pleaser,’ who ‘tries to fit in,’” Weidner wrote. “Chad is not a violent young man. He is polite, respectful and courteous.”

In addition to Cameron and Gattis, five other people were charged in the case. Two of them — Bren Marx, and Haylee Hays — have pleaded guilty and been sentenced to probation.

The other three — Stephen Kimbrell, 21, Kevin Rupp, 22, and Shane O’Hare, 24 — are awaiting sentencing.

O’Hare’s role in the conspiracy was to allow Gattis to have the packages delivered to his post office box. He’d then bring them to Gattis who would share some of the drugs with him.

He testified at Gattis’ sentencing hearing about text messages he’d exchanged with Gattis around the time of Scott’s death that seemed to Gattis knew his friend was dying and didn’t help.

Contact Andrew Wellner at 352-2270 or andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com.