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Feds Raid Hilo Pot Ministry

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ICMag Donor
Veteran
This is sad news indeed. Roger is a kind hearted soul that always looks for the blessing in any adversity.

by Colin M. Stewart And John Burnett
Tribune-Herald Staff Writers


Published: Friday, July 9, 2010 10:23 AM HST
Marijuana advocate Christie, 12 others arrested; charges to be detailed today

<!--[include_if_component:movie-file:1:incs/story/movie.inc]-->Federal agents apprehended at least a dozen people on the Big Island in a series of raids that began early Thursday morning.

Among those taken into custody was outspoken marijuana advocate Roger Christie, the founding director of The Hawaii Cannabis Ministry in downtown Hilo.

"We assisted federal agents in the arrest, and that's about all I can say," said Capt. Randall Medeiros, commander of the police Criminal Investigation Division. He directed further inquiries to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Honolulu.

<!--[include_if:content/visitors_guide:incs/visitorsguide-links.inc] [include_if:content/voters_guide:incs/votersguide-instorylinks.inc]-->Representatives of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and the U.S. Attorney's Office would not verify Christie's arrest Thursday, or answer any other questions concerning Thursday's activity. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Enoki e-mailed a statement late Thursday afternoon announcing a press conference at 2 p.m. today "regarding recently filed drug trafficking charges."

Christie, 61, was arrested at 6:25 a.m. Thursday at his Wainaku Terrace apartment, 360 Kauila St., in Hilo. The police booking log did not list charges, only that Christie was arrested by local police assisting other law enforcement agencies.

According to the police log, others arrested as of 11:55 a.m. include Christie's girlfriend, Sherryanne L. St. Cyr, 58, of Pahoa, who was arrested at Christie's apartment; John D. Bouey, 51, of Keaau; Perry Emilio Policicchio, 50, of Hilo; Michael B. Shapiro, 61, of Keaau; Jessica R. Walsh, 32, of Hilo; Richard Bruce Turpen, 58, of Mountain View; Victoria C. Fiore, 28, of Hilo; Aaron George Zeeman, 41, of Hilo; Suzanne Leonore Friend, 46, of Honokaa; Timothy M. Mann, 58, of Honokaa; Kuuleialoha Miilani Ancheta, 35, of Honokaa; and Donald James Gibson, 40, of Pahoa.

The Tribune-Herald could not confirm Thursday whether all of the arrests were drug-related. All of the federal arrestees were flown to Honolulu.

In March, Christie's THC Ministry headquarters on Hilo's Bayfront, as well as up to a dozen other residences, were raided iby a task force including the DEA, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Postal Inspector, Immigration and Naturalization Service and local police, but no arrests were made nor charges lodged at that time. One person who said he was raided by the task force told the Tribune-Herald that agents confiscated 25 marijuana seedlings from his home.
<TABLE class=photobox style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 0px 0px" cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=photocell>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=photocutline><!--| Buy Photo-->
Signs and display items are seen in windows of The Hawaii Cannabis Ministry, which law enforcement agents locked up following a Thursday morning raid on the Hilo Bayfront premises occupied by Roger Christie. - Photo By William Ing/Tribune-Herald
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Christie and St. Cyr are former board members of the Peaceful Sky Alliance, a marijuana advocacy group that drafted the initiative passed into law by Big Island voters last November making adult use of marijuana on private property the "lowest law-enforcement priority." The PSA's website no longer lists either as directors, although they were listed at the time of the March 10 raid.

A man overheard as he was being interviewed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent outside Christie's ministry on Bayfront said Christie had allowed him to stay in the building for the last two weeks after the man was released from jail.

The 34-year-old man, Nathan Clark, told the Tribune-Herald that he is a fellow marijuana activist and a good friend of Christie's.

"I'm a cannabis activist and he gave me a free place to stay while I'm in the process of finding another location," he said.

Clark said he was awakened around 6:30 a.m. and asked to leave the premises by the agents, but he said it did not appear that they were removing any evidence from the building.


Clark said he is currently on probation after serving a year in jail for running his own marijuana ministry, and said he was also raided in Iowa. He added that he feels he is doing nothing wrong.

"I was helping supply the sacrament and medicine on the Big Island," he said.

Clark said he believes that marijuana has been unfairly targeted by law enforcement, and he and Christie are fighting for the public's right to access "quality, medical-grade marijuana. ... I'm just trying to help responsible people feel better."

"These arrests are a civil rights violation," Clark said. "Cannabis is a sacrament in our religion ... and this is a First Amendment issue."

Christie is perhaps the most visible and outspoken marijuana activist in the state. In 1992, he and fellow activist Aaron Anderson were arrested for possessing marijuana seeds. Charges were later dismissed. He also filed a petition in Hilo Circuit Court in 2005 seeking unsuccessfully to impeach former Mayor Harry Kim and all county councilmembers except Bob Jacobson. A similar petition in 1999 was also dismissed.

According to Clark, agents had indictments for 14 people and had arrested 13 of them as of noon.

No one answered the door of Christie's condominium in the Wainaku Terrace Apartments Thursday morning, but a man staying in the building and a groundskeeper both said they had seen agents wearing bullet-proof vests outside his door. A 40-year-old man who wanted to remain anonymous said he was seeing his girlfriend off to work in the morning when he saw the agents.

"Some looked like DEA, and one of them had a tag on his jacket that said IRS," the man said.

He also said that he later saw the agents carrying "two clear plastic bags to the cars" in the parking lot.

The resident of Rochester, New York, said he was visiting his girlfriend, who is a traveling nurse working a 13-week stint at Hilo Medical Center, and he was concerned for her safety after seeing the arrest taking place.

"I was really surprised, at first," he said, "then I started to worry about what kind of building she's living in."

Melba Huihui said she used to serve as the resident manager for the condominium complex, and she remembered long lines of people forming in front of Christie's door.

"It's been quite some time. Maybe six or seven years ago. ... The line would be from the bottom to the top floor" of the three-story building, she said.
 
T

Tr33

THC Ministry Busted

THC Ministry Busted

Original Story


Reported by: Gina Mangieri
Email: [email protected]
Last Update: 7/08 7:06 pm


Drug bust nets leader of Big Island marijuana ministry


A two-year investigation led to the arrests of 14 people on the Big Island in connection with an alleged marijuana growing and distribution network. The leader of the group has openly said cannabis is a religion for him and that he's proud to spread what he calls the sacrament. How he did it, though, appears to have run afoul of federal authorities.
Roger Christie of Hilo speaks openly about what he calls his religion -- his THC ministry, and of the wealth that has flowed from it.
"The nickname for it is ganja-nomics,” he says on web videos he made promoting his services, “the natural economy that happens when you have freedom and cannabis together."
He claims a state license to be a wedding minister is his license to provide the drug. For donations of varying amounts The Hawaii Cannabis Ministry based issues a “Religious Use of Marijuana” ID card, ordainment, legal defense kits, and what the founder calls the sacrament -- marijuana
"We use cannabis religiously, and you can too," Christie says. “Raise the level of acceptance for having the blessings of cannabis in our life. I know you want it. I wanted it, I was hungry for it. I got it."
Thursday he got arrested, along with more than a dozen others, picked up in various locations from Hilo to Honokaa. Drug enforcement agents, sheriffs, county police, immigrations and customs and even postal agents were part of the bust. Sources say 14 people in all were taken into custody.<o:p></o:p>
“They were only after people that they had federal indictments for,” said Nathan Clark, who lives in the THC Ministry building called The Moses Building. “They left all my things alone. They told me I was free to go."
Clark said he is from Iowa and has been out of jail himself since May 11<sup>th</sup>.
“The DEA, it’s one of their last hurrahs in their failed drug war, the war against cannabis,” Clark said.
The suspects were put on a Coast guard c-130 plane bound for Oahu. Authorities declined to comment.
In the past associates of Christie have been arrested as far away as the East Coast. At the time of a high-profile raid in Florida 2 years ago, Christie told KHON2 his religion is a defense against prosecution.
"Everyone in the USA is born into the right to cultivate and to use cannabis," he said. “Every state in the United States guarantees religious freedom for each of their citizens, and the federal government does, too.”
Christie openly guided his followers about a Hawaii County law directing low-priority for low-quantity marijuana busts.
"There is no more budget for the county police or prosecutors to go after people who are in the misdemeanor amount of cannabis,” Christie claims, “and that's the 24 plants and 24 ounces.”
And to feed what Christie told KHON2 was a demand that exceeded supply, he developed a system where ministry members could grow pot at home, make a donation of cannabis to the ministry and get a monetary donation in return. Though 14 are now in custody, the ministry boasts more than 60,000 members.
"May your garden grow green and plenty,” Christie says. “We'll see you at harvest time."
The U.S. Attorney's office told KHON2 it plans a press conference about the bust tomorrow.
 

festivus

STAY TOASTY MY FRIENDS!
ICMag Donor
Veteran
The feds may have been investigating Roger for 2 years, buy imvho, this was retribution for his testifying in 2 cases on the mainland. It happened in March and now this, within weeks of testifying.
It may have been that, after the 1st raid, Roger had gone back to business as usual, and the feds chose a stronger response. This is bad news indeed, as the feds have a 95% conviction rate. They don't bring charges unless it's a "slam dunk".

Roger is one of the kindest people I've ever met. He's one of those people who always look for the silver lining in every problem.

Prayers and Positive Energy to all those involved.
 
C

CANNATOPIA

Many blessings coming their way, This is very sad & Feds Suck Balls!
 
What a bunch of BS. Aren't there enough fuckin' meth heads on the Big Island to keep these asshole busy doing actual police work?
 

NoRest

Member
Not that I liked the last president at all or the few before even but where is the change Obama promised before the election? Why are DEA and IRS agents arresting people like Roger? How did a government by the people, for the people get so out of control?
 

irieeyes808

Member
Yeah we have so many freaking ICE Heads out here and they are going after good people. The only victoms in this case are Roger and his people, sad thing. Everyone smoke over here even the coppers hell they grow as well.
 

JOJO420

Active member
Veteran
This is truly sad as a a couple of my close friends are locked up now :( May we dream of the day all this BS stops, God I hope it is sooner than later.
 

SignsofSpirit

New member
Letters sent to officials...charges are expected to be dropped with in two weeks. Any official participating in this specific case will be facing criminal charges..Sudbury released on signature bond yesterday. Sudbury has "Medicine Man" in the Native American Church and thus falls under federal exemption awarded to the NAC. Slam dunk for sure, but not for the Feds.........


July 10, 2010

United States Attorney, Florence Nakaku
PJKK Federal Building
300 Ala Moana Blvd., #6-100
Honolulu, HI 96850

Subject: Civil Liberties Violations of the Native American Church Continues.

Dear Florence Nakaku,

Oklevueha Native American Church wishes to formally inform you that we believe your office in coordination with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)[1], have criminally violated The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000, Title 18, U.S.C. Section 241 Conspiracy Against Rights “This statute makes it unlawful for two or more persons to conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person of any state, territory or district in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him/her by the Constitution or the laws of the United States”., and Title 18, U.S.C. Section 242 Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law “This statute makes it a crime for any person acting under color of law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom to willfully deprive or cause to be deprived from any person those rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution and laws of the U.S”.


Please be informed that the Bureau of Indian Affairs Director Larry Echo Hawk or the Native American Rights Fund Director John Echo Hawk[2] have no legal authority to represent Oklevueha Native American Church and its independent branches in any manner shape or form. Oklevueha Native American Church prays that you are not seeking advice from either one of these people and / or their prospective organizations.


Oklevueha Native American Church is a bona fide Native American Church [3] [4] [5]


Oklevueha Native American Church records show: Wesley M. Sudbury became a member of Oklevueha Native American Church, 8/11/2009. December 18, 2009 he became CEO of Oklevueha Native American Church of the Big Island. His mailing and Oklevueha Native American Church of the Big Island address is; P.O. Box, 377465 Ocean View, HI 96737, Phone Number: (808) 895-7956 and Roger Christie became a member of Oklevueha Native American Church, 6/01/2009. June 1, 2009 he became CEO of Oklevueha Native American Church of Hilo. His and the Oklevueha Native American Church of Hilo address is; 94 Kamehameha Avenue on the bay front in downtown Hilo, Phone Number: (808) 443-3616

Oklevueha Native American Church, presently believes that Oklevueha Native American Church of the Big Island and Oklevueha Native American Church of Hilo have not had any activity being conducted within their Native American Churches that meets a “Compelling Interest Standard”. If this belief is true Oklevueha Native American Church prays that your office provide these Native American Church Spiritual Leaders their constitutional rights and dismiss all charges brought against them, immediately.

With Respect


James Warren ‘Flaming Eagle’ Mooney
Elder Medicine Man and President
Oklevueha Native American Church

Cc; United States Attorney General Eric Holder
United States Senator Dan Inouye
United States Senator Daniel Kahikina Akaka
United States Senator Orrin G. Hatch
United States Senator Barbara Boxer
 

SignsofSpirit

New member
Apparantly somebody spoke about something that they thought would not be repeated.....whooops....or maybe we should all be asking the same questions...in fact the quote was more to the like of "I'd like to ask President Obama where he was buying his cocaine from when he was living in Maui" ....well???? maybe we should all be asking the same question or better yet, let the man who initially asked the question be the one soley responsible for doing the questioning of the President...


United States Attorney General Eric Holder


Dear Eric Holder,


This report of The Raid of Oklevueha Native American Church of the Big Island is troubling on a number of issues besides the raid itself.

The total disregard for the civil liberties of the Oklevueha Native American Church is one thing but the disrespect for the Presidency of the United States by stating in an arrogant manner that President Obama used cocaine to a United States citizen by a Drug Enforcement Administration Agent is appalling.

I personally am trying to get a grasp and understanding to the fact that one of our Federal Law Enforcement Agent cares little about abiding by the laws of our nation that he has taken a sworn oath to up hold and his deriding statements concerning his commander and chief. As a law-abiding citizen of the United States and the President of Oklevueha Native American Church I find this an appalling set of circumstances instigated by our United States Attorney General Office of Hawaii.

I am beyond speechless. These absurd and illegal behaviors by our country’s highest law enforcement agencies must come to an abrupt halt.


Cc. Senator Barbara Boxer
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Senator Orrin G. Hatch
Senator Robert Bennett
Senator Dan Inouye
Senator Daniel Kahikina Akaka
 

bongaload

Member
going after people seeking to enlighten themselves and sick people doesn't seem to be the best use of resources. We should pull in the reins on these guy's that are supposed to be acting in the publics interest.Clear violation of there rights. biggest being the pursuit of happiness. Good luck Roger were rooting for you
 

issack

Active member
Veteran
I think the feds wanted to make a big statement. Here on the big island in the past two years there has been a huge increase in cultivation. Prices have gone way down and there is people competing and selling CHEAP herb. Choppers are now flying again. more people going down.

After that first raid a couple months ago, I would have cleaned house if i was Roger. He is a great kind person. Sad to see this happen.
 

Dr. Purpur

Custom Haze crosses
Veteran
Good one Obama! You smoke weed on the island, then bust others for the same! I hate You! This kind of behavior is repugnant!
 

festivus

STAY TOASTY MY FRIENDS!
ICMag Donor
Veteran
On Friday, a Federal judge denied Roger's bail or release to a half way house, citing he was "a danger to the community". Roger, a threat?? You've got to be kidding me!
 
Its obvious someone close to him was a fed or a snitch. Thats always the case. There is always a snitch. I dont know these people live with themselves.
 

Feb2006er

Active member
You don't know Hawaii very well. He has had the feds on his case for a while and starts back up every time he gets out. The feds don't need a snitch in this case as he is extremely out in the open. If there was a snitch, more people would have gone down...being rural and not doing everything open over the phone is what saved some peoples asses tho. He's a good guy, but a little off his rocker. He should be free, but that's probably going to take appeals to the supreme court. Hopefully he'll win and it will set another precedent for cannabis.
 

monkey5

Active member
Veteran
do your homework...bro

do your homework...bro

Not that I liked the last president at all or the few before even but where is the change Obama promised before the election? Why are DEA and IRS agents arresting people like Roger? How did a government by the people, for the people get so out of control?
both sides are out of control..they need to understand ..they work for us...and they do not get it ..yet!! vote them all out! every time until they get it! monkey5
 

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