Federal Medical Marijuana Cases

[antigenesis]

Federal Medical
Marijuana Cases in California & elsewhere</font></font>


<h5 align="center">(Sept 11,
2001 - Sept 11,2005)</font></h5>
</font>


Pending cases:</font>
</font>


• Bakersfield - Sep
8th, 2005. DEA arrests James Holland and two associates in raid on the
Free and Easy cannabis dispensary. Kern County sheriffs summoned the DEA after
being called to investigate a robbery at the facility. Police found plants growing
at Holland's home plus 20 lbs of marijuana, and illegally possessed firearms.
Holland being held in prison without bail.</font>



• Merced - Aug 10th,
2005. Patient activist Dustin "DC" Costa arrested on federal
charges. The charges stemmed from a raid in February 2004, when some 900 plants
were seized from Costa's greenhouse. Costa had maintained that the plants were
all for legal Prop. 215 patients. After 18 months of court continuances, state
officials turned DC's case over for federal prosecution.</font>



• Modesto - July 18th,
2005. DEA arrests Thunder Rector and two others on charges stemming from
a raid on his property by Stanislaus Co sheriffs, who reported discovering 49
plants and 235 pounds of marijuana there. Rector and his wife Rayleen had been
providing medical marijuana for partients at a San Francisco dispensary. Also
charged was a neighbor, John Hellanger. Rector, who uses marijuana to treat
bipolar disorder, is being held without bail or medication in federal prison
in Fresno.</font>



• Kern Co - July 20,
2005. Joe Fortt, 42, director of American Kenpo Kungfu School of Public
Health, arrested for cultivating over 2,000 plants at three different locations.
Charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess more than 1,000 plants (10
year mandatory minimum). </font>



• Sacramento - July
7, 2005. Louis Wayne Fowler, director of Alternative Specialities dispensary,
charged by feds following raid by Sacramento County Sheriff that uncovered two
indoor gardens with an alleged 800 plants. Sheriffs say Fowler had a criminal
record and failed to file for a business license. Charged for manufacture of
marijuana and illegal possession of weapons.</font>



*San Francisco - June 22,
2005. Feds raid 3 dispensaries and indict 20, mainly Asian-Americans, in what
is described as a major organized crime operation. Some defendants charged with
money laundering and sales of ecstasy. Others include Van Nguyen, director of
first Asian-American medical cannabis dispensary. <a href="http://www.canorml.org/news/postraichraids.htm" target="_blank">More
details.</a></font>



• El Dorado Co:
Dr Mollie Fry & Dale Schafer.
Operated medical marijuana clinic in Cool, California with 6000 patients; DEA
raided Sep. 28, 2001; seized patient records. Indicted Jun 22, 2005 for marijuana
found on premises.</font>



• Lake Co. - DEA raids
Eddy Lepp's medicinal
gardens Aug. 18th, 2004. Over 32,000 plants destroyed, Lepp says plants belonged
to 2,000 - 3,000 patient shareholders. Lepp arrested and released on bail pending
trial on marijuana charges with possible sentence of 12 years to life. 13 others
arrested with Lepp but not charged. Feb 16, 2005: Lepp re-arrested along with
Daniel Barnes after allegedly selling one pound of marijuana to DEA agents,
who claim they did not mention medical purposes. Several hundred clones taken.
</font>



• Calaveras County,
Jan. 2005. Federal government files forfeiture suit against Wesley Crosiar,
52, after local sheriff finds 134 marijuana plants on his property. Government
seeks to forfeit Crosiar's home and five acres of land inherited from father.
Crosiar, who was living on the property with his wife and sons, says he was
growing for half a dozen friends and family members and had checked with local
authorities to make sure he was within legal guidelines. </font>



• Roseville - DEA raids
Capitol Compassionate Care Center in Roseville and the Newcastle home of its
proprietor, Richard Marino, on Sept 3, 2004, seizing 250 plants, 20 pounds
of processed marijuana, and $105,000 cash. No criminal charges, but goverment
files for forfeiture of Marino's home and for his rented storefront premises,
owned by landlord Richard Ryan.</font>



• Oakland - Five arrested
by DEA following a CHP raid on a warehouse where 4,000 plants were found (Jun
30, 04). Defendants say the plants were for a licensed dispensary. Police gave
conflicting accounts of the incident; the CHP says it called on the DEA after
Oakland police declined to help. Two defendants have pled not guilty to manufacturing
charges bearing a 10-year to life sentence: Jacek Mroz, 27, of San Leandro,
and Jesse Nieblas, 31, of Alameda. Also arrested were Mario Pacetti,
33, of Alameda, Heleno Araujo, 32, of Concord, and Celeste Angello,
28, of Santa Clara. .Angello sentenced to 2 years probation 10/6/4; Araujo pled
guilty to misdemeanor for maintaining a place for manufacture of marijuana.
Pacetti pled guilty 2/16/05. Two more indicted Feb 11, 2005: Thomas Grossi,60,
owner of the property, and Roy Lewis, 52, an alleged grower.</font>



• Tehama Co.
- David Dean Davidson, 52, and Cynthia Barcelo Blake, 53, indicted
by federal grand jury on Jan 8, 2004 after trying to assert medical marijuana
defense in state court. Arrested with 100s of small seedlings, 33 mature plants,
and a few pounds of processed marijuana in Red Bluff and Oakland. Defendants
say they were for personal use. The Tehama DA turned the case over to the feds
while pretending to negotiate a deal with their attorneys. Denied a Raich
defense by Judge England.</font>



• Sonoma Co. - <a href="http://www.canorml.org/news/aikoraided.html" target="_blank">Aiko
Compassion Center </a>(Santa Rosa) raided by DEA May 29, 2002. Ed Bierling
and Dan Nelson arrested separately each with plant #s beneath Sonoma
Co. guidelines. </font>



• San Bernardino Co.
- Anna & Gary Barrett arrested May
22, 2003 on federal grand jury indictment for marijuana cultivation after charges
dismissed in state court. </font>



• SF Bay Area -
Ken Hayes and Rick Watts indicted along with Ed Rosenthal following
DEA raid on S.F. Sixth Street Harm Reduction Center Feb. 12, 2002. Watts awaiting
trial. Hayes, previously acquitted in Sonoma Prop 215 case, is in Canada. </font>



• Sacramento - Robert
and Shawna Whiteaker - patient couple involved in Prop. 215 cultivation
case that was turned over to the US attorney by the Sacramento DA's office after
they charged that search warrants were falsified by a sheriff's deputy. Attorneys
allege US prosecutors improperly withheld information to force the case into
federal court.</font>



• Humboldt Co. -
Chris Giauque - arrested in Humboldt County
Aug 01, 2001 growing 204 plants for the Salmon Creek patients' collective; case
turned over to the feds, pled guilty Dec 6; sentenced to 15 months for possession.
Released from prison May 2003. Meanwhile, in a separate case, Giauque won a
landmark federal lawsuit for return of
one ounce of pot seized by the DEA at the request of the Humboldt sheriff after
the latter was ordered to return it to Giauque under Prop. 215. Giauque missing
and presumed dead since Aug 2003; police suspect foul play.</font>



• Amador Co - Bill
Lockyer & Bill Olson, fighting federal forfeiture of their home for
growing 300 plants; Lockyer a patient; seizure order dated Dec 2001.</font>




Sentenced:</font>
</font>


• Sonoma Co. -
Robert Schmidt,
proprietor of Genesis 1:29 club in Petaluma, arrested Sept 13, 2002. Agents
uproot 3,454 plants at the club's garden in Sebastopol. Pled guilty Jul 2003;
sentenced to 41 months, July 2005.</font>



• Orange Co. - Michael
Teague - arrested May 2002 growing 102 small seedlings in garage in Tustin.
Charges dismissed under Prop. 215; re-arrested by BATF on federal charges of
being "unlawful user" in possession of a (legal) handgun. Gun charges dropped;
pled guilty to cultivation with right to appeal. Sentenced to 18 months Aug.
2003. </font>



• San Francisco
- Stephanie Landa, Kevin Gage, Thomas Kikuchi arrested July 15th 2002
for 3000 square ft. medical marijuana garden in San Francisco. SF police had
told the defendants beforehand that medical cultivation was OK, but then arrested
them and turned their case over to the feds. Pled guiilty to maintaining a place
for manufacture. Landa and Gage sentenced Aug 2003 to 41 months; Kikuchi sentenced
to 37 months.</font>



• SF/Oakland
- Marijuana author/advocate Ed Rosenthal
convicted Jan 31, 2003 for cultivating and maintaining a place in Oakland
and conspiring to cultivate over 100 plants for the Harm Reduction Center in
San Francisco; to be sentenced in June, 2003, pending appeal. Jurors renounced
their verdict after the trial upon finding out that important evidence that
Rosenthal had been deputized bythe city of Oakland had been withheld. Rosenthal
sentenced to 1 day time served and 3 years probation and $1300 fine Jun 4, 2003.
Sentence on appeal.</font>



• Sonoma Co. - Keith
Alden - arrested May 9, 2001 while growing for himself and other patients;
convicted by a jury of cultivating more than 100 plants on Feb 11, 2002; sentenced
to 5 yrs probation; re-arrested July 31, 2002 for cultivating while on probation.
Convicted and sentenced to 44 months for growing 920 plants Dec 19, 2002. Released
on bail April 2004; awaiting sentencing post-Raich 2005.</font>



• Chico. - <a href="http://www.canorml.org/news/epissentenced.html" target="_blank">Bryan
Epis</a> convicted by federal jury July 2002 cultivating 457 plants for
Chico cannabis collective; arrested August 1997; sentenced to 10-year mandatory
minimum Oct. 7, 2002. Released on bail Aug 9, 2004; awaiting re-sentencing Nov.
2005. </font>



• Oakland. - Jimmy
Halloran arrested in Feb 12th, 2002 DEA raid for sizeable indoor medical
marijuana grow ( 3,500 plants). Halloran, 60 years old, facing a 10 year sentence
and ill with Hepatitis C, agreed to plead guilty and cooperate with the government
by testifying against Rosenthal. Sentenced May 22, 2003 to 6 months house arrest
and $10,000 fine.</font>



• Placer Co. - Bill
& Peggy Riddick (aged 68, 69) sentenced 4/5/02 to 30 months beginning
5/13; home forfeited; arrested by Placer Co. sheriffs in 1997 growing 400-680
plants for a San Francisco cannabis club. Released from prison Jan 2004.</font>



• El Dorado Co.
- Roy Lee Sharpnack, 55 patient sentenced to 57 months on Mar 4, 2002
for growing 957 plants for an El Dorado patients' dispensary. Other defendants
in the case: Jacob Sink released from prison in 2002; Traci Coggins,
released from prison Nov. 02: Paul Maggi, released after agreeing to
inform. </font>



• Sonoma Co - Mark
Whitney arrested March 2002 for 660 plant caregiver garden. Pled guilty
Jul 2003, sentenced to 1 year prison, 3 years supervised release; out pending
appeal.</font>



• San Diego - Steve
McWilliams, co-partner of Shelter from the Storm medical marijuana
collective, arrested by DEA Oct. 11, 2002 for cultivating a small sideyard garden
for a half dozen patients. Pled guilty to cultivation of 25 plants, with right
to appeal. Sentenced to 6 months Apr 28th, 2003; released on bail pending appeal
but denied access to marijuana. Suffering intense pain and depression, McWilliams
committed suicide July 11, 2005.</font>



• West Hollywood
- Los Angeles Cannabis Resource Center
- Raided and closed by DEA Oct. 25th on orders of US Justice Dept against wishes
of local authorities. Served 960 seriously ill patients In Hollywood. Forfeiture
charges filed against the LACRC's building Jun 2002. LACRC director Scott
Imler, Jeff Yablan and Jeff Farrington pled guilty to avoid a potential
30-year sentence. Sentenced to 1 year's probation plus community service in
November 2003 by Judge Howard Matz, who praised the defendants and excoriated
the government for bringing the case in the first place.</font>



• Ventura Co. -
Lynn and Judy Osburn
raided Sept 28, 2001 for cultivating for the LACRC. Forfeiture filed against
Osburns' property, including home they built for themselves, in July 02. Raided
again and arrested for personal use garden of 35 plants in Aug 02; charged with
cultivation. Pled guilty Sep 03; on bail pending appeal.</font>



• Mendocino Co.
- David Arnett and David Kephart charged federally Jun 02 with
growing 27 plants on BLM land after case was dismissed in state court. Arnett
sentenced to 3 years probation and $1,000 fine Jun 20, 03.</font>



• Sonoma Co - Patient
Mike Foley arrested with a home garden by FBI in the course of an unrelated
investigation of his housemate, Jun 2002. Pled guilty to cultivation of 95 plants.
Foley had previously been acquitted by a Sonoma jury for cultivating marijuana
with Ken Hayes for the CHAMP patients' group in San Francisco. Sentenced to
6 months home detention plus 3 years probation Mar 31, 2004.</font>








Raided by DEA, no
charges filed:</font>
</font>


• Los Angeles - DEA
raids home garden of sickle-cell patients' advocate <a href="http://www.canorml.org/news/Somayahdeabust.html" target="_blank">Sister
Somayah</a> on Oct. 8, 2003, destroying 12 plants. Somayah, who has been
repeatedly harassed by the LA police department, was acquitted of cultivation
in a jury trial in 2002. No charges filed.</font>



•Lebanon, Oregon -
DEA raids garden of Travis Paulsen, seizing 48 mature and 56 immature
plants, Oct. 2, 2003. No charges filed.</font>



• Santa Cruz -
Wo/men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana, a collective of 250 seriously
ill patients, raided by DEA Sept. 5, 2002; armed agents destroy 167 plants.
Directors Valerie and Mike Corral handcuffed and arrested, then
released. WAMM files suit for
return of property. WAMM granted preliminary injunction against further DEA
raids under Raich decision April 2004.</font>



• Butte Co.
- Diane Monson - 6 plant personal use garden destroyed by DEA in defiance
of pleas by local D.A. Aug 15, 2002. <a href="http://www.canorml.org/news/raichmonsonhearing.html" target="_blank">Monson
files patient lawsuit</a> with Angel Raich asking for a federal injunction to
protect them against further DEA aids. </font>



• Linn Co., OREGON
- Leroy Stubblefield, a quadriplegic, and two other patients are robbed
of a 12-plant caregiver garden, legally registered under state law, by DEA on
Sept. 23, 2002. They plan to sue the federal government.</font>



• Sonoma Co. - Alan
MacFarlane - 128 plant, 10 patient cooperative garden destroyed by DEA Aug
2002. Had been acquitted for personal medical use cultivation of 100 plants
by jury in 2001.</font>



• Bremerton, WASH.
- Monte Levine and Marc Derenzy raided by the DEA and threatened with
arrest by U.S. attorney in August 2002 for openly growing medical marijuana
(42 plants) for themselves and two other patients under Washington state law.</font>



• Steamboat Springs,
CO - Don Nord, 57-year-old patient with serious chronic illness, raided
Nov 2003 for 3-plant medical garden. Charges dismissed under Colorado medical
marijuana law, but Nord's medicine turned over to DEA. Nord is suing federal
government for return of medicine.</font>



• Aurora, Co - Dana
May raided by DEA April 2004 for personal use garden. Colorado D.A. declines
to press charges. May plans to file suit against feds for $3,000 in cultivation
equipment and lost medicine.</font>

[BrugmansiaBrujo]

You have to hate these people, really. Aren't there better ways to spend tax payer's money?



Better yet, don't spend the money at all, and give it back to the tax payers.



We have truly evolved into an "us vs. them" society. Revolution is imminent.


Edited by: BrugmansiaBrujo

[Nature Boy]

Originally Posted by BrugmansiaBrujo

Better yet, don't spend the money at all, and give it back to the tax payers.

We have truly evolved into an "us vs. them" society. Revolution is imminent.

What's the point in taxation if you give it all back?

Revolution is not imminent, least of all in the US where the general population is completely run and manipulated by the media.Edited by: nature_boy_liam

[antigenesis]

Originally Posted by nature_boy_liam

What's the point in taxation if you give it all back?



Revolution is not imminent, least of all in the US where the
general population is completely run and manipulated by the
media.

Point well made, a far too great percentage of the american population
are sheep controlled by the media, which is typically controlled by the
conservatives.

[antigenesis]

Originally Posted by antigenesis

• San Diego - Steve
McWilliams, co-partner of Shelter from the Storm medical marijuana
collective, arrested by DEA Oct. 11, 2002 for cultivating a small sideyard garden
for a half dozen patients. Pled guilty to cultivation of 25 plants, with right
to appeal. Sentenced to 6 months Apr 28th, 2003; released on bail pending appeal
but denied access to marijuana. Suffering intense pain and depression, McWilliams
committed suicide July 11, 2005.</font>

-holds head low in shame of our country as a silent tear runs down cheek-