Virginia Man Caught With $1.1M in Synthetic Drug Materials, Police Say

A Northern Virginia man made synthetic drugs in his home and inside a storage unit and shipped them across the country by mail, police said. 

John P. Flaherty, 57, of Haymarket, Virginia was arrested last week after police found an estimated $1.1 million worth of supplies to make synthetic drugs in his townhouse in Haymarket and in a storage unit in Warrenton. 

Detectives from the Prince William-Manassas-Manassas Park Narcotics Task Force found 4 pounds of materials used to make synthetic drugs, marijuana, marijuana wax and a handgun in Flaherty's home, police said.

They then searched Flaherty's storage unit and found much more --  33 pounds of materials used to make synthetic drugs, officials said. 

The operation lasted about five months and began with a financial inquiry, Prince William County Police Ofc. Jonathan Perok said. 

Flaherty was tracked down in Las Vegas, where he has a second home, with help from a Nevada drug-trafficking task force, police said. He was arrested August 18 and charged with manufacturing and distributing narcotics, and conspiracy to manufacture and distribute narcotics. 

He awaits extradition from Nevada and is due in court October 2. A woman who answered the door of his home Tuesday declined to comment. 

A neighbor called Flaherty a quiet man and said no one knew what he did for a living but that it seemed to involve mailing a lot of packages. 

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