Downriver meth dealer who made deadly shots with Alka-Seltzer gets 20 years in prison

Scott Sams didn't just deal drugs, authorities say, but concocted deadly "hot shots" of methamphetamine, booze and Alka-Seltzer, convinced customers to party with him, and then passed out his concoction.

The fizz from the seltzer tablets would intensify the high, prosecutors said, adding that Sams also made shots which could be injected by a needle.

Sams' drugs would cost two people their lives — a single mother and a father of four — and eventually his freedom.

U.S. District Judge Laurie Michelson sentenced Sams, 54, of Southgate, to 20 years in prison Wednesday for running a drug ring that prosecutors said preyed on vulnerable women, often commercial sex workers. Perhaps most egregious, prosecutors argued, was what Sams did after two of his victims overdosed: He ran and left them to die alone.

'Sams' actions shock the conscience'

For Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Smith, it's what Sams did after his victims overdosed that was especially egregious.

“Sams’ actions shock the conscience. He had a choice. … He chose to run and hide. Worse, he did not stop after he knew he killed someone,” Smith argued in her sentencing memo.

According to court documents, here's how Sams worked: He lured women in by getting them to hotel rooms to party. Once there, he concocted his "hot shots" — either putting the solution into a syringe, or mixing it with booze. With the drink version, he would drop in an Alka-Seltzer to add carbonation so it “blows up” once consumed and the high from the drugs is intensified.

"Sometimes, he suggests they use the drug through their anus to intensify the high,” Smith wrote in court documents.

First victim was struggling single mom

Sams, who previously pleaded guilty to distributing meth that killed two people, landed on the federal government's radar two years ago, when the FBI caught word that he was distributing meth in the Downriver area.

An investigation followed. According to court documents, here's what the FBI uncovered:

Sams' first victim was a struggling, 28-year-old single mother who met Sams in May 2021 at the Motor Lodge in Allen Park, where surveillance images show the two entering a room. Several others did as well, though everyone was seen leaving at some point — except Sams and the 28-year-old mom.

At some point, Sams left the motel room with his bags after ordering a female friend to come to the hotel to “clean up.” The woman obliged, and called 911 to report the victim. When police found her, she was naked, alone, on top of an unmade bed in the hotel room.

“Not only did Sams give (her) a lethal dose of methamphetamine, but he deserted her. … He left her there to die alone,” the prosecutor wrote in her memo.

Second deadly party — 'Again Sams ran'

The next month, Sams continued on with his party lifestyle at a woman’s home in Farmington Hills, where a man identified only as Z.M. arrived. The father of four kids ingested some of Sams’ meth and overdosed.

“Again, Sams ran and hid. Instead of helping, and possibly saving this man’s life, Sams took off, leaving (the man) alone, unclothed, and dead on the floor,” the prosecutor wrote.

In January 2022, Sams was indicted on a drug conspiracy charge, and two counts of delivering meth resulting in death or serious bodily harm. He later cut a deal and pleaded guilty to distributing meth that resulted in the deaths of two victims.

According to court records, Sams ran his drug scheme while out on probation from a 2020 gun conviction. Prior to that, he was arrested twice for domestic violence when he was 29 and 40. Both cases were dismissed, one after he completed a term of supervision.

Defense: Sams had 'crippling' meth addiction

In court documents, Sams' lawyer portrayed his client as a hardworking crane operator of 26 years who developed a "crippling methamphetamine addiction" after watching a co-worker fall to his death from a crane they were working on.

"Mr. Sams descended into a nihilistic lifestyle of methamphetamine use, distribution, and 'partying,' ” federal defender James Gerometta wrote in a sentencing memo. "This event shook him."

So much so, the lawyer noted, that Sams — a married father of four — also destroyed his family.

'This is a terrible case'

"At age 49, Mr. Sams embraced the methamphetamine party/sex culture. His drug use became worse when he was laid off during the pandemic," Gerometta wrote, noting his client was arrested eight times in three years for drug offenses. "Unsurprisingly, his behavior led to his divorce in 2020."

And worse: It cost two people their lives.

"This is a terrible case. While Mr. Sams was lost in the haze of methamphetamine addiction and did not intend to harm anyone, his repeated behavior caused the death of two people with families who loved them and will mourn their loss," Gerometta wrote. "His behavior has destroyed the lives of the two victims and his own."

Meanwhile, the federal government warns it is on the lookout for drug dealers like Sams who are wreaking havoc on communities.

“My office will use every resource available to combat drug dealers who push controlled substances into our communities with indifference to the tragedy it inflicts," U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison stated after Sams' sentencing. "We will not hesitate to seek stiff penalties to keep this community safe.”

Added Michigan's FBI chief Cheyvoryea Gibson: “We are hopeful this sentencing brings a sense of justice to the victims’ families, whose loved ones were recklessly endangered by the defendant.”

The FBI Detroit Field Office asks that anyone who believes they may have been a victim oflethal meth concoctions to call 800-CALLFBI (800-225-5324) or submit tips online to http://tips.fbi.gov.

Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Downriver drug dealer Scott Sams sentenced to 20 years