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The UglyPOT Arrest..of 04-05. Video & Pic's

Ohhhh eeeee.... Read all.. They are very real... look at all Video's... 20lights wow Cail...

From 05 to 04

MAN CHARGED IN AMERICAN SAMOA POT BUST

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (RNZI, Feb. 8) – Criminal charges have been filed in American Samoa’s District Court against Iosefo Tauiliili for unlawful possession of marijuana.

He was taken into custody last week following a police raid of his home in the village of Pago Pago which produced seven large rubbish bags of freshly-cut marijuana.

The police found the bags in a space between the ceiling and the roof, apparently being laid there to be dried.

Criminal Intelligence and Investigative Bureau (CIIB) Commander Va’a Sunia, says the street value of the seized drugs ranges between US$40,000 and US$50,000.

The defendant remains in jail without bail to appear again on Friday.

If convicted he faces a term of five to ten years in prison and a hefty fine.

February 9, 2005




Huge Pot Bust in San Francisco

The drugs were found at a house in San Francisco's Sunset District.


Anna Duckworth

Watch the Video
http://atlas.kpix.com/news/local/2005/01/21/Huge_Pot_Bust_in_San_Francisco.html#

What began as another fire in San Francisco Thursday night turned out to be a sizable marijuana bust.

Just before 11pm, firefighters were called to a home on 20th between Taraval and Santiago in the city's Sunset District. They said there was a strong smell of marijuana coming from the building.

When police went inside, they said they found 2000 marijuana plants with a street value of $250,000 in the 2000-square-foot home. Investigators called it an elaborate state-of-the-art cultivation operation, and firefighters believe the complex wiring system for the heat lamps sparked the fire that prompted the original call.

Police say it took 2 1/2 hours to remove all the plants, equipment, and garbage bags full of marijuana from the house. There was no one at home at the time, and one neighbor told us that he never saw anyone coming in or out. Police say the property is a rental, and they are working to make an arrest.

» 01-21-2005






Police made a drug bust at a Ferndale home last week while responding to a potential emergency, Local 4 reported.

Officers responded to the home to do a welfare check after a person who called 911 hung up on the dispatcher.

Police said officers became suspicious when the man who answered the door was uncooperative.


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Video: Police Describe Pot Bust
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http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/4217868/detail.html#

"He wouldn't allow them to enter the house and he refused to give his name to the officers," said Detective Lt. Norm Raymond, of the Ferndale Police Department.

After obtaining a warrant, officers went inside and found in the basement of the home: 83 marijuana plants, fertilizer, lights and other tools used to grow marijuana, police said.

Marlon Albert, 37, was arrested at the home. Ester Parker, 33, who rents the home, was also taken into custody, Local 4 reported.

"She was arrested at the border crossing going to Canada, and held until we went and picked her up," said Raymond.

Albert (pictured, above) and Parker (pictured, right) were both charged with delivering and manufacturing a controlled substance.




Orland cops makes huge pot bust


Tuesday, February 1, 2005




By Dan Lavoie
Staff writer


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Orland Park police were being questioned late Monday regarding what may be the village's biggest drug bust ever.
Orland Park police and Illinois State Police raided a home in the 11100 block of 143rd Street about 10:30 a.m. and found an elaborate marijuana operation that had as many as 500 plants in various stages of growth, police Cmdr. Chuck Doll said.

"This is considerable," he said. "This is probably the biggest bust we've ever had."

The two men who lived at the home, ages 37 and 30, had not been charged as of late Monday, police said.

The bust was the result of a six-month investigation by Orland Park police, who learned of the operation during other, smaller busts.

The house, which is just outside village limits in unincorporated Orland Township, is just east of Wolf Road. The blue, two-story house is high on a hill and has a large teepee in the back yard that's visible from 143rd Street.

Plants were being grown in nearly every corner of the house and an adjacent garage, Doll said. He said large grow-lights and dehumidifiers also were used.

Doll said he hadn't been inside the teepee and didn't know if there were any plants being grown in there.

"This isn't just people just growing a couple of plants," Doll said. "This was quite extensive."

Doll did not know the estimated street value of the plants. He said police are investigating whether the marijuana was being sold in Orland Park.






Burglary investigation leads
to bust of indoor pot garden

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By ED ZAGORKSI - GM Today Staff
January 21, 2005



MEQUON - Detective Rick Schnell didn't realize when he was making casts of footprints in the snow he and other officers would discover what was described as "a very elaborate marijuana-growing system."
Schnell said he was called out in the early morning hours of Jan. 13 to help connect a 19-year-old Mequon man to an attempted burglary.

"The parents didn't want to turn over the shoes to us so we came back with a search warrant," Schnell said.

When Mequon officers returned and searched the home, they found a marijuana-growing system in the attic which led to felony drug charges against Erik G. Schuchard, 19, of Mequon.

"It was quite the setup," Schnell said. "He had it rigged with fans and a kill switch so if someone were to go into the attic a trip wire would kill all of the power to the growing operation and no one would see it."

According to the criminal complaint, Mequon police said about 1:30 a.m. Jan. 13 someone tried to enter a garage on Columbia Drive, but caused the alarm to go off and woke the homeowner. When police were investigating the area, they discovered two sets of footprints in the snow near the attempted break-in. Mequon officers also reported seeing a car drive by the house on Columbia Drive twice.

Police said the license plate came back to an owner who lived in Milwaukee. After police stopped the car, driven by Patrick J. Pugely, 18, of Milwaukee, they matched his shoes to footprints near the garage. Police arrested Pugely who was charged with attempted burglary of a building or a dwelling, a felony, according to police.

When Pugely was being questioned by police, his cell phone rang and police noticed it was Schuchard calling. When questioned by police, Schuchard denied any involvement with the attempted burglary, but was arrested and taken to the police station for questioning.

During the search of Schuchard's home for his shoes, a police officer went into the attic, found an extension cord and followed it until he discovered the marijuana plants, Schnell said.

Police found 25 marijuana plants and plant containers, fertilizer and soil, according to the criminal complaint.

Schuchard confessed to aiding Pugely in the attempted burglary. He told police where his shoes were located and they matched the other set of prints in the snow.

Schnell said Schuchard was charged with manufacturing marijuana with intent to deliver, a felony charge. He faces up to 10 years in prison. He was also charged with attempted burglary.

If convicted, both Schuchard and Pugely could see 6 years and 3 months on the attempted burglary charge.




This story appeared in the News Graphic on Jan. 20, 2005.

:whip:
 
Here a 03. Just one then 04

Wrong number leads to pot arrests
Party foul
Thursday, March 6, 2003 Posted: 10:47 AM EST (1547 GMT)




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PALM SPRINGS, California (AP) -- Police found more than 75 marijuana plants inside a house after a woman who lived there mistakenly called 911 instead of 411.

Police said the woman dialed 911 shortly after 11:20 a.m. Tuesday. When she hung up, a police dispatcher called the number right back, and someone hung up again, police Sgt. Dan Rose said.

Two officers went to the house and found 76 plants valued at $76,000 growing in a room with sophisticated lighting. Officers also found three handguns and other weapons inside the house.

"We know something is going on, but we don't know what," Rose said.

A man, who was not immediately identified, gave police a prescription for medical marijuana. However, the quantity of plants made police suspicious, so they began investigating the authenticity of the prescription, Rose said. The man was arrested for investigation of cultivation and possession of marijuana for sale.

Another man who tried to run from police was arrested for investigation of parole violations and was sent back to state prison Wednesday.

The woman who misdialed was not arrested.



Kentucky State Police and Scott County Sheriff Department Eradicate 400 Marijuana Plants in Scott County




Released: Wednesday, September 15, 2004 Contact: Tpr. Ronald Turley

Kentucky State Police

Public Affairs Officer Post 12

On Tuesday September 14, 2004 Kentucky State Police Post 12 in Frankfort and the Scott County Sheriffs Department teamed up to eradicate marijuana in Scott County. Through a collaborative effort over 400 marijuana plants were eradicated. The street value of those plants would be in excess of $800,000. No arrests were made but the investigations are on going.

"The Kentucky State Police and the Scott County Sheriffs Department are dedicated to keeping Scott County a safe and drug free community", stated KSP’s Sergeant Travis Tennill. Detective Jack Patrick echoed those sentiments stating, "Through teamwork we were able to keep a significant amount of marijuana from making it to the streets and possible in the hands of our children in Scott County".



Post 12 Frankfort covers Anderson, Fayette, Franklin, Scott, Shelby, Spencer and Woodford Counties.




Last Updated 10/6/2004



Police arrest 10 in major pot bust in Halifax
CTV.ca News Staff

Police and the RCMP carried out massive raids in the Halifax area Monday, seizing 4,000 marijuana plants and arresting 10 people.

In addition to the pot, 10 vehicles were seized, as well as a significant amount of cash. Police won't say how much the haul is worth.

"We have a very successful investigation here,'' RCMP spokesman Const. Gary Smith said at a news conference.

"It's organized crime. There could be more arrests, there could be more seizures.''

Of those arrested, nine are men and one is a woman. They face charges ranging from cultivation of marijuana to possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Police say some of the suspects are from Asia, but they won't give a country of origin.

The raids were conducted at 19 locations, including executive-style homes in Fall River, Sackville, Waverly, Tantallon and Clayton Park, as well as apartments in Halifax.

The raids are the result of a one-year investigation involving the Halifax Regional Police, the Truro Police Service and the Canada Border Services Agency.

Police say the investigation is ongoing, and there could be more arrests in the days ahead.



60,000 Pot Bust
Police found the pot after a neighbor reported someone breaking into a house.

VIDEO: 13abc's exclusive coverage of the pot bust.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/news/video/5191_potbust.html

IMAGES: of growing pot, supplies, and those arrested.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/news/519_potbust.html#


More than $60,000 worth of marijuana is off the street tonight. Police found the pot after a neighbor reported someone breaking into a house. Three people are in jail. Two may have been trying to steal the marijuana and the third person is charged with growing it.

When police first arrived at the house on Revere Drive in west Toledo, they were responding to a call of breaking and entering. Officers soon realized the crooks were trying to get their hands on marijuana plants. Officers tracked down two suspects: Clayton Carpenter, 19, and Ricky Miller, 25. Both are charged with breaking and entering. Back at the house, officers charged Joy Webster, 19, with possession and cultivation of marijuana.

Neighbors watched as officers brought out equipment used to grow the pot. Many neighbors couldn't believe what was happening right across the street from their houses. Other neighbors say they're glad to get the stuff out of the neighborhood and away from kids.

Police have a warrant out for the arrest of Nicolas Barnes, 23. He also lives at the house. Police believe he's the guy behind the operation



Powell Butte Pot Bust

Posted on Monday, August 16, 2004 (PST)

It’s a crop authorities say would’ve been worth $375,000 on the street. The Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team’s discovery of a big marijuana grow operation in Powell Butte means three people have a pending date with the District Attorney. Nearly 500 growing plants, another 113 clones and around 43-thousand dollars cash was seized during last week’s raid on Wiley Road. No arrests have been made, but a report is being forwarded to prosecutors for charging decisions.
 
Scott Park Pot Bust
Assault call nets dozens of pot plants and growing equipment.

IMAGES: Pot bust nets $100,000 worth of goods
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/news/223_potbust.html#

Police discovered nearly 70 marijuana plants inside a home on the 2200 block of Airline Drive in the Scott Park neighborhood of south Toledo. Police were originally called to the home to investigate an assault. When they went inside the home to look for a suspect, they didn't find the suspect. Instead they found marijuana plants worth more than $100,000. At first, it looks like just a medium-sized plant sitting behind a makeshift wall, but take down the cardboard, and police say there's an elaborate drug-growing system, complete with 69 marijuana plants, heat lamps, and ventilation.

A woman who didn't want to be seen on camera says up until a week ago she lived in the home with her ex-husband and stepson. She says she had no idea the marijuana was growing inside one of the bedrooms. Investigators confiscated all of the marijuana and growing system. So far no charges have been filed. Investigators say they're trying to determine exactly who in the house is responsible for the drugs. They say charges of cultivating and possession of marijuana will likely be filed tomorrow.



No Arrests Yet In Dead Moose Pot Bust


By SETH POWERS, Staff Writer
Thursday June 17, 2004






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There still have been no arrests stemming from a marijuana bust in East Burke and Newark on May 24.

A dead moose had led police to the marijuana.

During the bust, state police and game wardens reportedly seized 145 marijuana plants while executing search warrants at residences on Alpine Drive on Burke Mountain in East Burke, and Shady Lane in Newark.

Three vehicles were also seized.

The Newark residence is owned by William Coleman, 46, of Newark, who is in jail in New Hampshire serving a 2- to 5-year sentence for convictions involving possession and attempted distribution of marijuana, according to an affidavit filed by state police Cpl. Gordon Lambert of the St. Johnsbury barracks.

Police were led to the residences when game warden David Gregory came upon two people digging what appeared to be marijuana holes at 12:34 a.m. at a secluded spot in Victory. Gregory at the time was taking the carcass of a moose that had been killed in an accident to an area the state uses for disposal purposes.

Police said Gregory found Chad Larrabee, 21, of Newark, and East Burke resident Miles Manikian, also 21, soaking wet with dirt on their hands and potting soil in the white 2000 Chevrolet pickup that was linked to Coleman.

Investigation into the case is continuing, and no further information is being released at this time, said Sgt. Fred Cornell of the St. Johnsbury state police barracks.



Posted on Sat, Jul. 12, 2003





Pot bust yields $2.4M in cash

Hollywood's biggest raid

BY EVAN S. BENN

ebenn@herald.com


At $2.4 million in cash and more than 700 mature marijuana plants seized, Thursday's eight-house raid was the biggest one-day pot bust in Hollywood's history.

On Friday, Hollywood police laid both greens on a table.

The leafy plants filled the space with a distinct scent, and the stacks of hundred-dollar bills captured everyone's attention.

Police said they believe the four men arrested Thursday ran a pot-growing ring that, with 700 mature plants, could have produced $14 million a year in profits.

On average, each plant produces one pound of street-ready marijuana a month, which sells for about $5,000.

The arrested: Robert James Pelletier, 42, of Hollywood; Michael R. Blood, 40, of Hallandale; and brothers Mark Stephen Bettencourt 33, and Robert M. Bettencourt, 27, both of Hollywood.

They each face charges of marijuana cultivation, marijuana trafficking, conspiracy to traffic drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police are not sure whether the men will be prosecuted in state or federal court, Hollywood Police Capt. Allen Siegel said.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the South Broward Drug Enforcement Unit -- a federally funded task force with officers from several departments -- assisted in the busts.

The raids began in Hollywood, Dania Beach and Wilton Manors at 5 a.m. on Thursday.

Police found pot plants and high-tech growing equipment in at least five of the eight homes they searched.

They arrested Mark Bettencourt at an apartment on Tigertail Boulevard in Dania Beach.

When police arrested Pelletier at his Rodman Street home, they found the $2.4 million stashed in safes in his truck, Hollywood Police Lt. Tony Rode said.

Rode said officers had been tracking some of the suspects for two or three years, but the officers intensified the investigation -- making connections between the drug houses and getting probable cause for search warrants -- in the past month.

Often, he said, the officers worked 20-hour days trying to nail down the case.

The confiscated money will stay in Broward, Hollywood Police Chief Jim Scarberry said.

As much as 15 percent may be donated to charitable groups in Hollywood.

The rest, he said, will be used to pay officers the overtime they accrued in this case as well as other police department expenses.





Posted: August 06, 2004

Legislative Mission Creep Alert: Federal prosecutors in Seattle have charged 15 people involved in a marijuana smuggling operation with violations of the Patriot Act, the bill hastily passed by Congress in the wake of the 9-11 attacks to protect the US from foreign terror attacks. That's a first, at least for the Seattle office, one government lawyer told the Seattle Times.

And no, clarified Assistant US Attorney Todd Greenberg, the Canadians and Americans under arrest were not sending their proceeds to Al Qaeda. They were indicted for conspiring with a Canadian marijuana-smuggling operation to deliver $3.4 million in profits from Washington state back to British Columbia.

Still, all 15 were charged with one count of "bulk-cash smuggling," a Patriot Act offense. For years, federal law has made it a criminal offense to take more than $10,000 out of the country without reporting it, but the Patriot Act changed that from a mere reporting violation to a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and the forfeiture of the cash in question.

And although there was no terror connection, invoking the Patriot Act was still appropriate, said Greenberg. "They're trying to get money from here to support crime somewhere else, so it's a way to crack down on that," he remarked cryptically.

Ah yes. "Of course we will only use these brand new, shiny powers for fighting terrorism. We're the government, we would never think of using them against simple drug users and smugglers." The USA PATRIOT Act will continue to be abused by federal agents and prosecutors and in the name of fighting crime and terrorism, America will move one step closer toward being a police state.

If they would just legalize pot for medicinal and recreational use, it wouldn't cause the societal problems that it does. But then we'd have thousands of cops who wouldn't be needed anymore and the prison industries simply can't have that. Why, we might have to actually shut down some of our prisons!

Posted by Mike at August 6, 2004 08:22 PM | TrackBack

Comments
 
SO the .. Word is,,,, HOtness

SO the .. Word is,,,, HOtness

While Bush is touting the new FBI report showing violent crime (except for murder) is down, he neglects to mention some other important statistics. According to NORML, which has studied the report:

Police arrested an estimated 755,187 persons for marijuana violations in 2003.... The total is the highest ever recorded by the FBI, and comprised 45 percent of all drug arrests in the United States....at current rates, a marijuana smoker is arrested every 42 seconds in America.

The cost of these marijuana arrests is $7.6 billion. Isn't it peculiar that Bush doesn't realize that this $7.6 million could be far better spent finding and stopping terrorists?

If you're thinking the numbers may reflect a lot of big dealer sales, forget it.

Of those charged with marijuana violations, 88 percent - some 662,886 Americans - were charged with possession only. The remaining 92,301 individuals were charged with "sale/manufacture," a category that includes all cultivation offenses - even those where the marijuana was being grown for personal or medical use.

Marijuana arrests last year were up 8%. What does that mean?

The total number of marijuana arrests for 2003 far exceeded the total number of arrests for all violent crimes combined, including murder, manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault.
 
Zep- Ayntime... Did you see the Video's... Some of these guys got caught by hummm bugggss... I love when I heard 2000sqft & found 2000plants... All rooms fulled... Like thatsucks... But hum them bugs will blow it for you all.... :canabis: Make sure your wire's and scent is perfect... & blocked all l the outside light,,, Cabon stay on blast...


Sauce
 
Ahh! The ever present threat reminder.....what color would you say this is on the old "Marijuana Bust Threat Indicator".... I'm going with a solid RED......
 
G

Guest

OMG my eyes are burning, that was some serious reading...I loved it.....Everyone should read this.answered alot of questions, i have had, and gave me alot of "mistakes" to avoid.Thanks for posting that link.
 

Rolando Mota

Active member
On average, each plant produces one pound of street-ready marijuana a month, which sells for about $5,000.

Wow, what strain is that!!?? A pound a plant a month?? Worth $5k? And it doesn't need to be trimmed or dried? I think it's the cops who are high!
 
halfbaked-Yep Alot of Info to keep up on..

Journeyman-Thanks ... :friends:


Rolando Mota- You know the Feds use high ball numbers.. It so fucked up...

Sauce
 
:eek: That is ssooooooo not right considering rapist get off with less time than that with good behavior!!! just doent seems right no harm doen when it came to the plants and yet he is treated like a murder or rapists. :mad:
 
UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE>>>>>>>

IF YOU BEEN READING THIS IS ALLL NEW BUST>>>>>>> for new to old...

EVEN HAVE GORE AND ASHCROFT SON>>>>>>




ater Main Break Leads To Pot Bust 2/26/2005
Feb. 25 (BCN) — An El Cerrito couple was arrested this morning when nearly 100 marijuana plants were discovered in their flooding home during a water main break, the El Cerrito Police Department reported.

Carrie Pinkerton, 23, and Nicholas Roman, 20, were arrested after the early morning discovery at 2607 Mira Vista Drive in El Cerrito, Detective Sgt. Shawn Maples reported. A 6-inch water main burst at 3 a.m., causing water to flood into the couple's home.

Firefighters were inspecting the damage to the couple's home when they noticed grow lights, hydroponic equipment and the strong smell of marijuana, according to Maples. Police were called to the home where they discovered 15 mature plants, 70 to 80 young plants and approximately one pound of processed marijuana.

Pinkerton and Roman were arrested and booked for cultivation of marijuana for sale, according to Maples.

Water service was restored to the neighborhood by 10 a.m., East Bay Municipal Utility District spokesman Charles Hardy reported. Fifteen houses were without water during the incident. No other homes were flooded.




Klamath Pot Bust
Thursday, 24 February 2005
Members of the Klamath interagency narcotics team seized nearly 150 marijuana plants at a Klamath County residence earlier this week. Officers served a search warrant at the Sprague River home of 27-year old Vincent David Torrey late Tuesday evening. In addition to finding over twelve dozen plants at an indoor growing operation, officers also seized growing equipment and packaged dried marijuana. Torrey was lodged at the Klamath County jail on charges of manufacture and possession of a controlled substance. His bail has been set at $10-thousand.





Man Claims Innocence In Pot Bust

Feb. 24 - Matthew Daquino and Rosie Bailey say they are innocent and were only housesitting when police found 90 marijuana plants inside a home.

Click to begin watching: http://nbc5i.feedroom.com/?rf=rss&fr_story=7a425a2ff418368113de37b02f380b6ec5e85262









2.15.05

Williamson County deputies responding to a 911 hang-up call found nearly $30,000 worth of marijuana growing inside a home.

The discovery happened on Monday on Nolensville Road in the Triune area, where deputies found dozens of pot plants. They also say that they found plenty of equipment for growing marijuana. The homeowner, James Robertson, has been arrested and charged.

News 2 at 4:30 pm
2.15.05



Wisconsin police arrest 3 men in cocaine, pot bust


Three men are expected to face drug charges in Portage County, Wisconsin after a police search last week yielded three pounds of marijuana, 7.3 ounces of cocaine and nearly $14,000.

Ruben M. Hernandez, 50, of Redgranite is being held on a $250,000 cash bond for conspiracy to deliver cocaine and marijuana, according to Portage County, Wisconsin Assistant District Attorney Veronica Isherwood. His initial appearance in court is March 2.

Two others, a 24-year-old Stevens Point man and a 46-year-old Plainfield man, so far have not been charged, Isherwood said. They are being held in the Portage County, Wisconsin Jail on probation violations, according to a news release.

Isherwood said Hernandez's bond was set at $250,000 because he is considered a flight risk. When he was arrested he was found with three fake, recently issued identification cards, one of which was a Kentucky driver's license.

Stevens Point, Wisconsin police, along with narcotics investigators from around Wisconsin, conducted three searches in the city throughout the week of Feb. 16, according to the release. Police also searched two locations in Waushara County, Wisconsin and one in Neenah.

The information from Isherwood did not list where the searches in Stevens Point occurred.




02/04/2005

FloridaToday.com

Melbourne police pulled off a marijuana sting in which undercover agents helped the suspect carry packages of pot into his apartment.
Marvin Ralston Wynter, 31, of Palm Bay Road in Melbourne was arrested Wednesday and charged with possession of a controlled substance.

Melbourne Police Department spokesman Sean Riordan said local authorities were tipped off by Houston police after the Palm Bay Road address was discovered on two packages of marijuana found in a Houston warehouse.

Houston authorities sent the packages by air to Orlando and Melbourne police followed through by delivering the two wrapped packages to Wynter's address.

"Wynter assisted the detectives (who were posing as delivery personnel) in carrying the packages into his apartment," Riordan said.

During the delivery, Wynter was smoking a marijuana "blunt," Riordan said.

Melbourne detectives served Wynter with a search warrant and found 77 pounds of marijuana and $2,100 in cash.


rticle Published: Friday, February 18, 2005 Eddy Lepp
Feds arrest Lake pot grower

6,000 plants confiscated that were to be used for 'personal consumption'

By JOHN JENSEN/MediaNews Group


UPPER LAKE - A controversial medical marijuana grower was arrested Wednesday following an early morning search of his Upper Lake home and marijuana farm conducted by federal and local law enforcement agencies.
Federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents arrested Charles "Eddy" Lepp, 52, on federal Controlled Substances Act charges at about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, said DEA public information officer Rich Meyer.

On Thursday, in a federal court in San Francisco, Lepp pleaded not guilty to charges of distribution of marijuana, conspiracy to distribute marijuana and maintaining a premise for the purpose of cultivating marijuana, according to a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) report.

Agents also arrested Daniel Barnes - whose age and city of residence were unknown at press time - on federal CSA violations.

"He (Barnes) was singled out because the agents had some information leading to him," said Meyer.

Barnes was also in court Thursday but as of press time, his plea statement was unavailable.

Lepp and Barnes are being held in the Marin County Jail.

In addition, Meyer reported that local authorities arrested two individuals - whose names were not released to the media - who refused to show identification to police.

Agents confiscated 6,000 plants and clones as well as more than 10 pounds of processed marijuana during the raid at Eddy's Medicinal Gardens, Meyer said.

Lake County Sheriff Rod Mitchell said 34 law enforcement personnel participated in the search and confiscation effort, including six officers from Lake County Narcotic Task Force and seven from his department, along with agents from the DEA, Mendocino Marijuana Eradication Program and Sonoma County Narcotic Task Force.

During the raid, Lake County Record-Bee reporters witnessed officers confiscate plants, cloned plants and processed marijuana as well as numerous pieces of lighting and ventilation equipment. Agents loaded two pickup trucks with plants and growing equipment from a barn and then moved in a large covered moving truck to remove more items from other parts of the property.

Meyer estimated the value of the confiscated marijuana in the millions of dollars. The DEA uses a formula that estimates each plant produces one pound of marijuana, with each pound having a street of value of more than $3,000.

By that calculation, the street value of Wednesday's seizure is approximately $18 million.

"Some plants can grow as big as apple trees and (are) capable of producing as much as 4 pounds or more," Meyer said. "Previously, Lepp told us he produced the most potent marijuana produced."

Lepp claims protection under Proposition 215, which allows for cultivation and possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal consumption. In November 1996, voters passed Proposition 215 by a 56 percent majority vote.

In addition to California, eight other states - Arizona, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Maine, Colorado and Montana - have legalized marijuana for medical purposes.

However, Proposition 215's passage has given rise to a conflict between federal and state law, which has yet to be resolved in court.

Federal law classifies marijuana as a "Schedule One" substance without any accepted medical use in the United States and a high potential for abuse.

In searching and arresting Lepp, the DEA claims the constitutional supremacy of federal law over state.

"We aren't getting around anything," Meyer said. "Greed is the basis for the medical marijuana movement."

That sentiment appears to be shared by local law enforcement.

At Lepp's farm Wednesday, Lake County Chief Deputy Sheriff Pat McMahon called Lepp a "profiteer."

Wednesday marks the third time the DEA has enforced federal CSA violations against Lepp in Lake County, said Lepp's wife, Linda Senti.

Senti said she talked to her husband by phone Wednesday and reported he "was very tired and very cold."
 
Department Press Release

Bronson Announces Arrest of Man for Growing
Pot in State Forest


TALLAHASSEE - Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson announced today the arrest of a Panhandle man for growing marijuana in a secluded area of a State Forest in Franklin County.

Charged by officers with Bronson's Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement with felony cultivation of cannabis (marijuana), as well as a series of related misdemeanor charges, was Frederick Estes Jr., 27, of Carabelle.

The investigation began when the department's Division of Forestry, while conducting aerial patrols over Tate's Hell State Forest in connection with a wildfire, detected a camouflaged structure attached to a tree in a secluded area of the forest. After referring the case to Bronson's law-enforcement unit, officers in the department, as well as those with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC), began a criminal investigation and traced the activity to Estes, officers said.

Bronson credited the FWCC and the Franklin County Sheriff's Department for its assistance in the investigation.

Estes was taken into custody late Monday, where he was charged with the drug offense and on an outstanding arrest warrant in Franklin County for violating probation in an unrelated case.

--30--





NOW THE OLD ONES>>>>> wLookk at there KIDS>>>> SO SAD>>.

eds Bust Medical Pot Patients In Courtroom

By Ann Harrison, AlterNet. Posted January 17, 2004.


Two medical marijuana patients face life in prison after local prosecutors lured away their defense attorneys to permit federal agents to arrest the couple in court.


California medical marijuana activists are outraged over the arrest last week of two medical marijuana patients who face potential life sentences on federal drug charges after being turned over by local authorities. David Davidson, of Oakland, California and his partner Cynthia Blake, of Red Bluff, California were arrested in a state courtroom in Corning, California on January 13 as they were seeking to dismiss state charges of marijuana cultivation and distribution.

Davidson and Blake, both 53, have doctor's recommendations to grow and consume medical marijuana under California's 1996 Compassionate Use Act (Prop. 215). While their defense attorneys were meeting in the judge's chambers to discuss the case with Tehama County assistant district attorney Lynn Strom, Strom announced that she was dropping the state charges because Davidson and Blake were being arrested in the courtroom on a federal indictment.

One of the major flaws of California's medical marijuana law is that it does not specify how many plants a patient can grow or how much marijuana they can possess. Each county or city sets its own guidelines and law enforcement around the state has widely ranging interpretations of how much marijuana patients should have.

The Sacramento U.S. Attorneys office did not return calls seeking comment on the case. But Tehama County assistant district attorney Jonathan Skillman argues that Davidson and Blake were growing too much medical marijuana for their personal use. Skillman said prosecutors came to this conclusion after a raid on Davidson and Blake's homes allegedly netted 1,803 plants and over 60 pounds of "processed marijuana."

"He had plans to supply the entire West Coast," Stillman claimed. "It is not in the realm of peronal use."

But Davidson says prosecutors inflated the number of plants seized, which he says is reflected in the charges. He and Blake have been charged with manufacturing more than 100 marijuana plants and conspiracy to cultivate more than 1,000 marijuana plants. The first charge carries a five- to 40-year prison sentence. The second is punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison.

Davidson said Cynthia Blake was growing 33 plants when the Tehama County sheriff's deputies raided her home in July. Skillman acknowledges that the county has no official plant limit for medical marijuana patients. But prosecutors used this information to secure a warrant to raid Davidson's house in Oakland, where he said he grew about 400 plants, mostly single leaf cuttings. Oakland patients are permitted by local ordinance to grow 72 mature plants and 32 square feet of marijuana garden canopy.

In last year's highly publicized federal case of Oakland medical marijuana grower Ed Rosenthal, jurors declined to include cuttings in the count of mature plants. As with that case, Davidson and Blake will likely be barred from arguing that their marijuana was for medical purposes since federal law does not recognized Prop. 215.

'A Spiteful Investigation'

Davidson contends that his lawyers were winning his case in state court, which prompted Strom to turn it over to the federal prosecutors.

Skillman denies this charge and says there was nothing improper about how Davidson and Blake were arrested. Davidson disagrees.

"Our attorneys were lured into the judge's chambers and as soon as the doors were closed, the deputies took us in a car as fast as they could all the way to Sacramento where we spent four hours chained in the county jail and held 24 hours before we could speak to counsel," Davidson said. "Now I'm facing 10 to 15 years in prison and I'm 53 years old. It's unbelievable."

Steph Sherer, executive director of the national medical marijuana coalition, Americans for Safe Access, disputed the allegation that Davidson and Blake possessed 60 pounds of processed marijuana. Sherer says discovery in the case indicates that prosecutors weighed sticks, stems, leaf cuttings and even root balls to arrive at the 60-pound figure -- a tactic employed by some investigators to inflate the weight of seized marijuana.

"This appears to be a spiteful investigation on behalf of the DA, paid for by the taxpayers of California, and if Strom would like to keep her job, she should respect the laws of the state," said Sherer. "If she did not believe this was a medical case she should have taken it to state court, and not handed over two citizens of California to the federal government for a 10-year mandatory sentence."

Sherer adds that Davidson and Blake's cases fall under a recent ruling by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which found that if the marijuana is not purchased, transported across state lines, or used non-medically, the federal government has no jurisdiction to prosecute medical marijuana patients in California and other states.

Davidson, who says he's never been arrested or sold marijuana, is currently free on a $50,000 federal and $20,000 state bail, as is Blake.

"I've worked my whole life as a retail business owner and I was set for semi-retirement and now I'm ruined," Davidson says. "I am nearly flat broke and I will be before this is done."

Ann Harrison is a freelance reporter working in the Bay Area.



GORE SON

Gores remain silent after son's arrest for pot possession
By Jill Lawrence, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Former vice president Al Gore and his wife, Tipper, maintained a public silence over the weekend about the arrest of their 21-year-old son on a charge of possessing marijuana.

Al Gore and his son, Al Gore III, embrace after a high school football game in 2000.
By Rick Bowmer, AP

Police in the Washington suburb of Bethesda, Md., arrested Albert Gore III and two passengers Friday night after officers said that they noticed someone driving a car without headlights about 11:30 p.m.

The Montgomery County police department said in a statement that despite frigid temperatures, officers found all of the windows and the sunroof of the dark-colored Cadillac were open. Police said the officers smelled marijuana and searched the car. They found a partial marijuana cigarette under the front console and a baggie containing suspected marijuana in a cardboard cigarette box under the front passenger seat, police said. Police said officers smelled marijuana coming from inside a crushed soft drink can.

Gore, a student at Harvard University, and two passengers from Cambridge, Mass., were each charged with a misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana and released pending trial. Police identified the two passengers as Yann Kumin, 21, and Marc Hordon, 22. The younger Gore has been a source of concern to his parents before.

• In September 2002, military police near Fort Myer in Arlington, Va., ticketed Gore, then 19, for driving under the influence. They did not take him into custody. At the time, a spokesman said the Gores were relieved no one was hurt and were "dealing with the situation privately as a family."

• In August 2000, when Al Gore was vice president and running for president as the Democratic nominee, the younger Gore was stopped by the North Carolina Highway Patrol. He was accused of driving 97 mph in a 55-mph zone. Officials dropped a reckless driving charge but fined him $125 for speeding and suspended his driving privileges in the state.
 
• In 1996, when he was 13, Albert III was suspended from St. Albans, a private school in Washington, for smoking marijuana during a school dance, Bill Turque reported in his 2000 book, Inventing Al Gore. The school treated it in standard style, announcing the infraction without the name of the offender, but news organizations learned of the incident. The vice president called leading outlets and asked them not to publish the story, Turque wrote, and "all complied."

In 1989, when he was 6, Albert III darted in front of a car in the stadium parking lot after a Baltimore Orioles game. He lost about 60% of his spleen, broke a leg and a rib, suffered a concussion and bruised his kidney, lung and pancreas. His lengthy recovery and his mother's depression after the accident prompted Gore to forgo a run for president in 1992.

Contributing: Wire reports




ASHCROFT'S NEPHEW GOT PROBATION AFTER MAJOR POT BUST

Although His Arrest For Growing 60 Plants Could Have Landed Him In Federal Prison, Alex Ashcroft Was Tried In State Court And Avoided Jail -- Despite His Uncle's Crusade For Tougher Federal Drug Laws And Mandatory Prison Sentences

The nephew of Attorney General-designate John Ashcroft received probation after a felony conviction in state court for growing 60 marijuana plants with intent to distribute the drug in 1992 -- a lenient sentence, given that the charges against him often trigger much tougher federal penalties and jail time. Ashcroft was the tough-on-drugs Missouri governor at the time.

Alex Ashcroft, then 25, and his brother Adam, 19, were arrested and charged with production and possession of marijuana after police raided their home in January, 1992. A housemate, Kevin Sheely, then 24, was also arrested.

Officials said approximately 60 marijuana plants were found growing in a basement crawl space, and a lighting, irrigation and security system was also discovered.

Although growing more than 50 plants often triggers federal prosecution, and results in jail time -- thanks to federal mandatory minimum sentencing laws Ashcroft fought to toughen as senator -- Alex Ashcroft was prosecuted on a state charge and received probation.

His brother Adam did not live in the house and was never prosecuted.

According to Sheely's lawyer, Dan Viets, who practices in Columbia, Mo., Ashcroft tested positive for drugs during his first post-probation drug test, yet still remained free. "As I recall it, in his first month on probation, Alex had a positive urine test," Viets said. He asserted he has spoken to someone who has recently seen documentary evidence of the failed test.

Reached for comment, Alex Ashcroft's father Bob first denied that his son had failed a urine test, then said, "Anything's possible." Asked about the failed urine test, Alex's mother, Beverly Ashcroft, told Salon, "I have no idea. That's such an upsetting time, it's all a little foggy."

Ashcroft was sentenced to three years in the Missouri Department of Correction for a class C felony involving more than 35 grams of marijuana. The sentence was suspended, and he was placed on probation for three years and sentenced to 100 hours of community service, which he served. Ashcroft's parents point out that Sheely, who went before a different judge, received even lighter treatment. Sheely's records are sealed, and all Viets would say is that his client was officially "not convicted." Bob Ashcroft says, "The prosecutor was from the other side of the aisle.

He did everything he could to prosecute my son." His mother, Beverly, adds, "I think the facts are clear that his uncle as governor certainly did not bail Alex out."

There's no evidence Ashcroft intervened on behalf of his nephew, but Alex Ashcroft's connection to the governor was widely known.

The arrest made national newspapers, from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to USA Today, as well as the local dailies.

Mindy Tucker, a spokeswoman for the Bush-Cheney transition team, said, "Given Sen. Ashcroft's reputation for zero tolerance, I'm sure if he had anything to do with it, the penalty would be much worse.

He would have influenced it [the sentence] in the opposite direction." She declined further comment.

The federal law enforcement official who had jurisdiction over the case at the time, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri Jean Paul Bradshaw II, said he had no knowledge of the Ashcroft case. A Bush appointee, he is now in private practice in Kansas City, Mo.

Others convicted of similar offenses in Missouri have certainly faced tougher punishment. Eric Edmundson, an electrical engineer in Pineville, Mo., served two years in Leavenworth federal prison after his August 1993 arrest for what police said were 51 marijuana plants growing on his property.

Edmundson was accused of selling marijuana, a charge he denies.

He accepted a plea bargain to spare his wife, a non-drug user, who was also charged. "You get a bad gut feeling in your heart, when [during sentencing] the judge says 'I'm sorry I have to do this -- no good can come out of it,'" says Edmundson, who now works as a production manager in a circuits factory.

He said he's "bitter" that Ashcroft merely got probation after being convicted on similar charges.

The irony of an Ashcroft relative receiving lenient treatment for a drug offense won't be lost on drug reformers. The Drug Reform Coordination Network, a national advocacy group, calls Ashcroft "one of the most hawkish drug warriors supporting some of the most extreme drug war legislation during his tenure in the Senate." He has supported toughening mandatory minimum sentencing laws, and has opposed efforts to end the disparity between penalties for crack and powder cocaine, and to curtail racial profiling.

His nephews' arrests weren't the only drug-related embarrassments during Ashcroft's term as governor. His drug czar had to resign over revelations he'd used drugs himself in his youth.

As for the Ashcroft nephews, their mother reports they are both married and doing well. Alex works in computer installation, and Adam, the younger, is in insurance. "It was a good learning experience," she says. "They're both responsible citizens.

It was a stupid college deal that taught the family a lot.
 
O

OHenry

Where can I find this strain!!!!

Where can I find this strain!!!!

"On average, each plant produces one pound of street-ready marijuana a month, which sells for about $5,000."

Where the hell can I find this stuff! Later OH :biglaugh:
 

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