THREE CONVICTED ECSTASY DEALERS TO BE SENTENCED TODAY

Six men, including three former University of Wisconsin students, will be
sentenced Friday today at the federal courthouse in downtown Madison for
their involvement in a drug ring responsible for distributing roughly
100,000 ecstacy pills over a course of two years.

Ashkan Faradieh, a 22-year-old Oshkosh native, who lived on the 500 block
of University Avenue while studying at UW, was arrested last spring and
pleaded guilty to ecstasy distribution in September.

Faradieh completed his Bachelor's degree in communications arts this summer
while released from custody.

Ghassan Majdalani, 22, who lived on the 300 block of West Dayton Street
while studying at UW, also pleaded guilty in September to an ecstasy
distribution charge.

Matthew Louie, who resided on the 400 block of West Washington Ave, pleaded
guilty in August to distribution of the drug.

The three each face up to 20 years in a federal prison.

All were indicted in April by U.S. attorney Grant Johnson, who alleged they
were involved in a plan to ship thousands of pills from Pennsylvania and
Florida to Wisconsin before selling it on and around the UW campus.

Assistant District Attorney Tim O'Shea, who prosecuted the three men, said
investigators intercepted an ecstasy shipment exceeding $31,000 in value.

The indictment alleges Ashkan Faradeih, Majdalani and Louie conspired with
Paymon Farhadieh, Steven Larson and Augusto Rodriguez to move more than
100,000 pills of Ecstasy between January 2000 and Dec. 10, 2001. Paymon
Farhadieh, 23, of New York City, pleaded guilty to distribution, Larson,
25, of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty in September and Augusto Rodriguez, 24,
of Miami, also pleaded guilty in September.

Ecstasy is most often distributed at raves, rock concerts and nightclubs.
An overdose of the drug could produce high blood pressure, faintness, panic
attacks, seizures and a drastic rise in body temperatures, according to a
report by the United States Department of Justice.

Johnson suggested the arrest and conviction of the three should stand as an
example of increasing government crackdown on those dabbling in ecstasy
distribution.

"[Ecstasy] is a growing problem in the western district of Wisconsin,
especially on college campuses," Johnson said in the indictment. "Users
should be aware of its great dangers, and dealers should know that they
face very severe penalties. Federal law enforcement authorities will
continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute [ecstasy] cases."

The bust prompted local authorities to look closer into the ecstasy subculture.

Just two weeks after the trio's arrest, police arrested 10 on drug charges
at a rave held at the Alliant Energy Center.