District Man Pleads Guilty in Attempt to Import Mass Quantity of Chinese ‘Boot,’ an Illegal Psychostimulant

WASHINGTON - Marvin Benjamin Martin, 32, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today in federal court in connection with an attempt to import a mass quantity of Chinese dipentylone, an illegal psychostimulant known as "boot," announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

Martin pleaded guilty before Judge Beryl A. Howell to attempted possession with intent to distribute N,N Dimethylpentylone hydrochloride. Judge Howell scheduled sentencing for Oct. 17, 2025. Martin is eligible for up to 20 years in prison.

According to court documents, in early 2024, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington D.C. High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area group (HIDTA) was conducting an ongoing investigation into illegal shipments of narcotics and precursor chemicals originating in China. In February 2024, officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized a package at the International Mail Facility at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).The package, addressed to "Martin Hall" on 58^th Street SE. had been mailed from China, and contained 10 kilos of N,N-Dimethylpentylone, aka boot.

HSI agents swapped out the boot in the package for sham materials and added a GPS tracking device.

On March 7, 2024, HIDTA, comprised of HSI, the Metropolitan Police Department, and officers from various other agencies, delivered the package to the front steps of the residence on 58^th Street. The officers watched as Martin drove up to the address, retrieved the package, and took it back to his vehicle.

About an hour later, Martin discarded the package. At 12:37 p.m., investigators found Martin driving in a nearby residential neighborhood and attempted to detain him. Martin sped off and crashed into a minivan and fence before evading officers.

Agents subsequently found Martin at a home in Lanham, Maryland, and attempted to block him in with their vehicles. Martin accelerated his car towards the agents, striking the front side of an agent's vehicle at high speed. About two hours later, agents again found Martin at the Latham residence. Officers positioned their vehicles to block the street, Martin drove his car towards the agents at a high speed, swerved onto asidewalk, and hit a tree while accelerating past agents' vehicles, once again evading capture.

On April 10, 2024, Martin was arrested in Annapolis, Maryland.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Washington D.C. High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area group (HIDTA), the Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, the Prince George's County Police Department, and the Annapolis Police Department.

The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Iris McCranie and Anthony Scarpelli of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking section of the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia.

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