SHELTON – A city resident who built a clandestine drug lab in his shed was sentenced to 20 years in prison July 18.
“The extent of the conspiracy in this case is particularly egregious because, in addition to distributing massive amounts of GBL and GHB, the defendant also distributed large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine, along with quantities of MDMA, ketamine, and LSD,” according to a sentencing memo written by prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Alexandria, Va.
The defendant, Hatem S. Salem, owned a house in Shelton but the case was in Virginia because that’s where agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection said they intercepted a shipment of Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL), a controlled substance that people use to get high or turn into GBH, a substance that gained infamy over the years as a “date rape drug.”
Interviews with “unindicted co-conspirators” then led investigators to Salem in Shelton.
Federal law enforcement agents set up a series of “controlled buys” from Salem between August 2024 and January 2025, according to court documents. With the help of a third party they arranged for purchases of cocaine, ketamine, MDMA, and more than 100 grams of methamphetamine from Salem, according to a prepared statement.
A Jan. 30 raid of his property in Shelton uncovered a clandestine lab inside a yard shed that law enforcement said was being used to manufacture GHB.
More than 100 boxes were found in his basement. Some contained GBL, and other boxes were suspected to contain GBL.
Agents recovered 151 grams of methamphetamine, 626 grams of cocaine, and various quantities of Ketamine, MDMA, and LSD, along with bottles of GBL and GHB, the government said in a press release.
Law enforcement also seized $370,000 in cash and $171,500 in cryptocurrency from the residence, and prosecutors said Salem made a series of bank and crypto transactions to hide the money he was making from selling drugs.
In April, Salem agreed to a plea bargain with the government that saw him plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, conspiracy to import GBL with intent to manufacture GHB, and money laundering.
Prosecutors asked for 25 years in prison. Salem’s lawyer argued in court documents for 15 years.
According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Virginia, in 1999 Salem was convicted for conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids, distribution of anabolic steroids, and making false statements.
In 2005, Salem was convicted for distribution of GBL and GHB while he was on probation for his 1999 conviction.
In 2015, Salem was convicted for unlawful importation of GBL with intent to manufacture GHB.
In a sentencing memo, Salem’s lawyer points out that Salem had no history of violence, was a father of a 5-year-old son, and received several letters of support from old friends.
Salem, 56, immigrated with his family from Egypt when he was young and was bullied for not knowing English, according to court filings. His father died when he was 18. He found bodybuilding as a respite from a tough childhood, even winning trophies for his physique.
However, bodybuilding also got him into substance abuse and steroid issues, according to court documents. He started using GBL to enhance his performance as a bodybuilder, according to his lawyer.
After his earlier convictions, Salem had trouble finding work, but was eventually able to get on the right path. He went to cosmetology school, and opened up a barber’s shop in Danbury, according to court documents.
The COVID-19 pandemic shut the business, just as his son was born. He fell off the sobriety wagon and back into his old ways, according to a letter in the court file written by Salem.
“I am not here to make excuses. I am here to accept responsibility and explain why this experience is different than any I’ve faced before,” Salem wrote, citing his young son.
Salem’s lawyer requested that he serve his 20 years in federal prison in Danbury so he could be closer to his son. As of July 23, an online federal prison inmate locator did not have information on where he is being held.