OVERGROW.COM raided

[Beeker]

http://www.shoutwire.com/comments/44...w_com_Arrested

Police raided the home of Canadian resident Richard Boucher, owner of the popular marijuana website Overgrow.com on Thursday. He was arrested and charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance and one count of possession of a controlled substance with the purpose of trafficking.

If you are not familiar with overgrow.com, it is one of the largest marijuana websites on the net. It also has one of the biggest communities of growers anywhere. Add to that the fact that police are rumored to have seized computer components and you can see why this might have some people sweating a little bit more than usual.

[Beeker]

Wikipedia entry keeps getting changed back and forth by... *ponders?*

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overgrow_(website)

This happened Monday and the site is up.. I'm usually pretty good at saying, "told you so" but there is going to be a huge cannabis bust in the Americas..

If I was a grower I'd have everything gone before I got to >@< here.

[StigmataLectron]

Oh, dear. I used to lurk on Overgrow when I wanted to grow pot. I thought that they were hosted in Holland, though.

Man, dude, total bummer.

[motorhead]

Cannabisworld.com and Overgrow.com Seized By Police
by Marc Emery (03 Feb, 2006) Overgrow.com, Cannabisworld.com, Heaven's Stairway Seed Company, and Eurohemp.com Shut Down and Servers Seized by Canadian Police
Cannabisworld.com unavailableWhen the world's largest websites for cannabis growers and enthusiasts disappeared from the web on Monday, January 30, it was thought to be a server problem.

As the week dragged on, tens of thousands of members, seed company sponsors, growers and fans worried there might be more than mere 'server' problems as Richard Calrisian (a pseudonym) had not made any statements in any web based media about any 'technical' problems.

Now it appears Heaven's Stairway Seeds (hempqc.com), Cannabisworld.com, Overgrow.com, Eurohemp.com have been shut down and the owners arrested in Canada; all their web properties seized, including the physical servers that held massive databases on thousands of growers, and tens of thousands of photographs of cannabis plants. Seed companies by the dozens used both Overgrow.com and Cannabisworld.com as a main trading ground. Over 40 seed companies had customer service interactive forums on these sites.

All the information held on those servers is now in the hands of police. It is not known what charges have been laid nor against whom. That police have not boasted about this seizure means the investigation is continuing, before any affected parties can react.

Cannabis Culture began receiving emails on Wednesday saying Richard Calrisian and his wife had been arrested along with four employees, but this could not be corroborated.

Overgrow.com unavailableOn the website www.icmag.com, seed merchant Gypsy Nirvana, operating from England where cannabis seeds are legal, posted this news late Friday:

“It is with great sadness that I bring you the news that RC and HS, OG and CW have been taken down by the authorities in Canada.....

...I have it from a bonofide source that it happened on monday and RC's computers/servers have most probably been siezed, they spent 2 days going thru his house and removed alot of stuff ...

His wife and some members of his family were also taken into custody and it's possible that she may be released tommorrow on bail... There has not been a peep in the media about this so there could be a reason why it was not advertised by LEO......BE WARNED! not to try and log on to Overgrow or Cannaworld for now since most certainly the security of that site has been compromised and if it comes back up without me first hearing from RC then it is NOT being run by him.....think about it!

...This could bring up some real security issues with many Overgrow/Cannabisworld members.........be warned guys and do what you need to do to make it safer for all of you.......duck and cover if needs be....

....Yours Faithfully...

Gypsy Nirvana"

As soon as we find out more information about what's happened, we will provide updates here or in the Cannabis Culture forums. Overgrow.com website members are welcome to converge here to find out more and reconnect.

Marc Emery and Jodie Giesz-Ramsay, Friday February 3rd 2006, 6:10pm

[raven3davis]

Wow what a surprise. This seems more like a stunt that the US authorities would have pulled.

[DrugPhreak]

I bet US LE is involved and this was related to Marc Emery.


Everyone should do their part to increase the chances of him not being extradited...

http://www.bonnyhthr.com/cc/

http://www.vivelecanada.ca/formlette...50803165704598

[Richard_smoker]

WOW! this is JUST SUPER! Thank you SO much random fucking probability.

If hadn't clicked on a totally fucking random area of the forum, where I would never go otherwise, I would have never noticed this very SMALL tidbit of information that TOTALLY FUCKS EVERYONE THAT MY GRANDMOTHER KNOWS IN HER WEDNESDAY TEA GROUP!! Jesus--holy mary, lord to joseph and john.

She's going to be very excited to find out about this little detail--so eloquently left-out of her local newspaper (in the US)!!! So now, she can hurry off and tell all her old-lady friends to BURN THEIR FUCKING GREENHOUSES TO THE FUCKING GROUND!!!!

I'm going to have to recommend to everyone living in the fascist state of USSA--make yourselves alternate identities with alternative mailing addresses with drop-ship loops!! (Do this through internet as well as through real world; i.e. cheap ass fake id to get mail boxes etc. BOX, then business cards to support that box, then get a-fucking-NOTHER mailbox thru the next fake you.) It's basically the closest we're ever going to get to the old days of 'paper-tripping'. Better get on NOW clinging to the opportunities of yesterday's technology while it's still available. otherwise, you'll be stuck like everyone using their real email addy, real home address, where they just happen to be exercising their own capacity to nurture and support their little green thumbs, who had their hand in the overgrow.com honeyjar... FUCKED.

[raven3davis]

Was it known who owned this site? Was he open about it or did they just somehow find out who was running the site. Personally, if swim was running overgrow, this site, or anything like it he would do anything in his power for it not to be known that he was the owner. There is a lot of incriminating information on overgrow and SWIM is not sure if they ever used SWIM there, if that matters.

Anyone know, did members of that site actually grow bud or was it mostly that rascal SWIM who was up to no good?

[melt_000]

the people who bought from the site are in more trouble than the ones who simply posted on the forum, whether they used swim, or whether it actually offers any legal protection to use swim... read on the thread at bl
[Read the rules!]
that the forums did not track ip. it's not even like they're going after the biggest suppliers, the people at this site were mostly hobbyists damn.

[Alfa]

Four Charged In Drug Bust

LTVNEWS.COM -- Thursday, February 2, 2006

On the 2nd of February 2006, a joint drug investigation conducted by members of Project Northern Gateway (an O.P.P. Drug Enforcement Section lead initiative), and members of the Hearst Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police, resulted in the arrest of four Hearst residents. At approximately 5:30 P.M a search warrant was executed at a Prince Street in the Town of Hearst.

The search of the residence resulted in the seizure of cannabis marijuana, cannabis resin, cocaine, and approximately $2000.00 in Canadian Currency. Upon execution of the search warrant, police also located a cannabis marijuana grow operation in the basement of the residence.

The controlled substances seized have a potential street value of approximately $31,000.00. The property seized has a value of approximately $2000.00.

Charged: 1) Jean PITRE
Date of Birth: 26 February 1961
Address: 61 Rose Street,
Hearst , ON

Offences: 1 count of Possession of a Controlled Substance - Section 4(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Court: 1st appearance – 08 March 2006.
Release: Promise to Appear

Charged: 2) Richard BOUCHER
Date of Birth: 31 May 1956
Address: 316 Prince Street
Hearst, ON

Offences: 1 count of Production of a Controlled Substance – Cannabis Marijuana - Section 7(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
1 count of Possession of a Controlled Substance – Cannabis Marijuana - for the Purpose of Trafficking - Section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Court: 1st appearance – 08 March 2006.
Release: Promise to Appear and Undertaking.

Charged: 3) Jeremy BOUCHER
Date of Birth: 15 December 1985
Address: 316 Prince Street
Hearst, ON

Offences: 1 count of Production of a Controlled Substance – Cannabis Marijuana – Section 7(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
1 count of Possession of a Controlled Substance - Cannabis Marijuana - Section 4(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
1 count of Possession of a Controlled Substance – Cannabis Marijuana - for the Purpose of Trafficking - Section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
1 count of Possession of a Controlled Substance – Cocaine – Section 4(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Court: 1st appearance – 08 March 2006.
Release: Promise to Appear and Undertaking

Charged: 4) Julie MACAMEAU
Date of Birth: 05 September 1966
Address: 316 Prince Street
Hearst, ON

Offences: 1 count of Production of a Controlled Substance – Cannabis Marijuana – Section 7(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
1 count of Possession of a Controlled Substance - Cannabis Marijuana - Section 4(1) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
1 count of Possession of a Controlled Substance – Cannabis Marijuana - for the Purpose of Trafficking - Section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Court: 1st appearance – 22 November 2006.
Release: Promise to Appear and Undertaking

New Information regarding Police Seizures of Overgrow.com
by Marc Emery (03 Feb, 2006)

Cannabis Culture has developed a timeline of events we believe accurately account for the disappearance of overgrow.com, cannabisworld.com, Heaven's Stairway Seeds (hempqc.com), and eurohemp.

On Monday evening, Richard Calrisian, the owner of the four websites, resident of Montreal, was contacted by his web service providers in Vancouver where his servers were situated that there may be a problem regarding a police investigation. RC told his provider to shut down the websites immediately. Within hours the police, its unknown what kind of police, apparently entered the server site with a warrant and apprehended the hardware that housed the four web sites.

In the early morning of Tuesday, police in Montreal moved in and arrested RC, his wife, and family members and an unknown number of employees.

It is alleged that RC, a pseudonym, is being held at Riviere-des-Prairie (RDP) jail in Montreal, while his wife in is Tanguay jail, across the river from RDP. CC Magazine called the prison and found no one there under the name Richard Calrisian. Their bail hearing should be on Monday, but it is unusual that a bail hearing has not yet been held. Typically they are held within 24 hours of arrest, unless an investigation is ongoing and the accused are being held temporarily without bail because of the risk of the arrest news informing persons also under investigation.

Reports of a drug bust in Hearst, Ontario are not related the seizure of overgrow.com websites.

[motorhead]

"Richard Calrisian" of Overgrow and Heaven's Stairway Disappears
by Jodie Giesz-Ramsay (08 Feb, 2006) Did he take the money and run? Or did "RC" go into hiding?
The owner of Heaven's Stairway Seeds, CannabisWorld.com and Overgrow.com has apparently dropped his websites and businesses, and has taken off with everything.

No one knows who "Richard Calrisian" is. No one has come forward with information about the websites. There have been no busts, no arrests linked to the owners. The servers seem to be reachable, but are not hosting the websites anymore.

Was RC scared of being investigated? Did he want to stop paying for an enormous database of information (Overgrow.com)?

Everyone who sells seeds seems to be fleeing North America and going to Amsterdam, Switzerland, Spain, England - the far more progressive countries. They don't want to be picked up by the USA or Canadian governments. Now that the Conservatives are elected in Canada, there's far more risks for people operating marijuana enterprises.

[kemistudent]

dang, I bet SoQuick is soquickly gettin the fck outta dodge!

<Pictures SoQuick running down the street with one half of a collesium under each arm = P

I dunno why but I thought OG was in the UK.

[Abrad]

Taken from another forum:

Posted from Mongoose @ >>>>>>>>>

RC is working with the Authorities. OG and CW IP's were logged.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quote:
About 48 hours ago I broke my 26 month long self-imposed exile from the internet to post the results of my converstations with RC. Nobody else seemed to the the will or ability to track down and talk to him, and my concerns for the industry and the people I love who participate in it out weighed the enjoyment of my recent relative obscurity. I was sure any calls were going to be monitored, but hey - it's not like my name has never been associated with cannabis seeds, eh. So I called RC. Twice.

The first call was to get his story of what happened to him, and the servers for Overgrow and Cannabis World, and to offer support, financial and otherwise. I had been in contact with a few friends and business acquaintances, and had passed the virtual hat around - to the tune of well over US$50,000 pledged to assist RC, with no strings attached. RC said he would have to talk to his lawyers first for instructions on handling such a large donation. OK, fine. RC has all my contact numbers (always had, btw) and I expected a call the next day with instructions from his lawyers.

After my first call to him, I noted that Marc Emery from Cannabis Culture had a front page story saying RC had split the country, etcetera. Fuck. So, after some introspection, I decided to take the plunge - I was returning to my long lost home, the internet. RC had told me he would be releasing a statement, drawn up with the assistance of his lawyers, within 24 hours. Now, I had taken RC at his word as to what had happened, and I thought his clients, suppliers and members of his sites should have at least an idea of what happened, so I called him back, and said so. He agreed I could post what I put in my first post on the internet in 26 months.

Some things RC said to me didn't sit well with me. I did wake the guy up, but still... my instincts were making my hackles rise. As time passed, I kept thinking - who the fuck doesn't leap on a US$50,000 gift? My instincts said I wouldn't hear from his lawyers about it. I was correct.

Now, I have known RC's real name - and much more information about him, from back in the day when I made a deal with ~Shabang~ to buy out his 1/2 of Overgrow. I started doing the phone call thing to newspapers, the Quebec Provincial Police, RCMP public affairs office, blah, blah, blah. No record of an arrest. No record of bail or release. No records for RC, period. I had a couple of phone calls with ~Shabang~ as well, as he is one of the few people in the world I felt comfortable brain-storming with some of the information I was working with. I trust ~S with my life.

I called everyone I knew - and I know a fuckload of folks - to try and pry out some facts. I got a ton of calls, PM's and emails, and the picture they were painting wasn't jiving with some 'facts' that RC gave me. In fact, the fucker lied to me - to you - to the industry.

Just after midnight last night, I got a call from Marc Emery. Some of you may have heard of him. If you want to Marc bash, stay the fuck outta this thread. I've been in this industry for quite some time, and I don't believe in tearing down anyone who has the guts and determination for a cause that he does. If you don't like doing business with him, then don't. I have managed to negotiate this industry for years without hurting and name calling of people who are, in my eyes, on the same side. (Just ask Dr. Chronic - shortly after his site launched on OG - and when Gypsy was, as usual acting like an asshole and treating the Doc like shit on the boards, his site went down - hardware failure. That day was the first time I talked to the Doc - I called him and offered to host his site until his hardware was repaired. He declined, but that was the basis of a solid business relationship with him, one of my competitors. I have since met the Doc, and he is one of those truly rare finds - an honest to goodness decent and nice man. I would like to think I can call Dr. Chronic my friend, and I won't put up with any Doc bashing here either End of rant)

Emery and I chatted for over 1/2 an hour. At the outset, I was clear that I couldn't give him any information, but we could discuss what we both had knowledge of. I can tell you now that Emery had RC's real name for quite some time, and had been checking high and low, much like I had been, and had found no trace. Emery gave me a who's who list of people who know RC - in some cases for decades - and who RC had shunned any form of contact with since this all started. He quite graciously offered me all they had found out, and didn't pressure me for information in return. His concern for anyone affected by the fallout from this is genuine. The industry is in an uproar, and I hadn't seen anyone else with people working the phones trying to unearth the truth. By approximately 12:53 AM (GMT) Mr. Marc Scott Emery had earned my respect. We ended our chat, but now I still had more questions.

Rumours, speculation and innuendo filled the forums everywhere, and my instincts were screaming by now. Several details RC had given me were blatantly false, but not a smoking gun. Not yet.

And then, this morning at 10:30 AM (GMT) my phone rang. It was an old acquaintance of mine - and he had brought me a smoking gun. He had done business with RC, and RC paid him by check. The check was made out to a business that has nothing to do with cannabis or cannabis seeds. It was the only time that business had ever negotiated a payment from anyone in the industry. And he had just been raided, with the warrant looking for cannabis, cannabis seeds, and financial records. Fortunately, the raid was, well - a bust. Nothing was found, cops were red-faced, and my friend was fine. And pissed off. There is only one person who could have pointed the police to his business. Mr. Richard Baghdadlian, known to you as RC.

I don't doubt that RC was raided, and I don't doubt that his home and business were searched. In fact, I have confirmation they were. He was not arrested. He was at home when I called him, and has since shut off all contact with anyone. I called his lawyers (that little deal a few years ago with ~S, me, RC and OG had left me with all kinda interesting contacts) and they informed me they were not able to contact RC.

So, I'm gonna say it - and lemme tell you, this ain't easy, but now it's time to face some hard facts.

Richard Baghdadlian is co-operating with the authorities to save his own ass, at the expense of breeders, clients, and tens of thousands of members on his sites.

Anyone who had any financial transactions with RC in any way is at risk.

Anyone who posted on OG or CW is at risk. Those forums are gone, and will never be back - the security of every member has been comprimised.

I don't believe IP's were not logged on OG and CW. ~Shabang~ and I discussed this, and how ~S had originally set up the null logs, and db records. Since then, however, RC had instituted many 'anti-troll' features on the boards. Lemme 'splain...

Ask any troll here - if they posted from, say Proxy A one day, and then 3 days later from Proxy B, using the same handle, and admin got tired of them. So, they IP ban Proxy B, while the troll is still signed in. That's how RC would like you to believe it was done. However, if they then tried using a different handle, and Proxy A - well, damned if that one wasn't blocked as well. I can guarantee you that RC had gone back to some default settings to log IP's for everyone, all the time. There is no doubt.

RC is a rat.

OG and CW logged IP's.

The servers weren't seized - they didn't need to seize them - RC has given them complete access to the database records.

People are getting busted based on contact with RC.

I have given oldpink the heads-up a couple of hours ago that I was going to write this up and post it here. Kindly don't tear him up - he is working hard with little information, and is doing the best he can.

As many OG and CW refugees are also hanging at edited, I've just got off the phone with Doc Chronic as well, so word of this will get out. (That's important, as that snivelling cunt-rag Gypsy likes to delete any quotes from me over at ICMag. Fuck off Gypsy, and stay outta my thread.)

If I have more information to offer later, I'll post it up in this thread.

If you have some information to give me, email is plural_of_encrypted@hushmail.com, or give me a call - from a safe phone, of course, at 07766 871 905 in the UK, 0044 7766 871 905 in Europe, and from N. America use 01144 7766 871 905.

Take care everyone, I hope you're all safe.

Love,

Plural of Mongoose

PS - if yer gonna quote this post over at other sites, kindly quote the entire post, thank you very much. Mongoose

PPS - Fuck you Richard Baghdadlian - FUCK YOU... Fuck you... fuck you...

Reputation Comments on this post:

Posting Link to Another Forum.

[Muirner]

So let me ask, RC is Richard Baghdadlian? just trying to understand that whole post

Muirner

[hazeinmybong2]

I have read on the ICM that the OG servers are still at his house. I would imagine though that the servers would be evidence. Can they use that database to hunt down every IP in their logs and raid time baby?

[motorhead]

RCMP Take Down Seed Company tied to Overgrow.com
by RCMP Website (28 Feb, 2006) The RCMP dismantles an international drug distribution network on the internet
Royal Canadian Mounted Police crestThe members of the Marihuana Grow Operations Enforcement Team of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police concluded their first major operation when they uncovered a Montreal based criminal organization involved in the trafficking, importation and exportation of cannabis seeds, as well as in conspiring for the purpose of cannabis cultivation via the Internet.

This operation was launched in November 2004 under the name "Courriel" and culminated with the seizure of 200,000 cannabis seeds and the arrest of seven persons.

Project "Courriel" revealed that Richard Hratch BAGHDADLIAN, 38, from Marsan Street in Montreal, and six other persons operated the Heaven's Stairway company. This company was on the web claiming to be the North American supplier for indoor and outdoor cannabis production.

The cybercompany Heaven's Stairway used the Internet sites hempqc.com, cannabisworld.com, overgrow.com, eurohemp.com, cannabisseeds.com, and cannabisbay.com. These sites were used to order cannabis seeds online and obtain information on cannabis cultivation.

These Internet sites also suggested ways to outsmart the police. Richard Hratch BAGHDADLIAN was the instigator, head and main beneficiary of the illicit company Heaven's Straiway. The other six accused acted as couriers and performed other duties for the company.

They are Geoffrey CHAN, 33, Maria Cristina CIVITILLO, 32, Natalie BAGHDADLIAN, 40, Manuel Bento FERNANDES, 45, Christopher ALMOND, 38, and Teresa RODRIGUES, 39. They all live in Montreal except Christopher ALMOND who lives in Ville Saint-Laurent.

The organization processed approximately 30 orders of cannabis seeds a day averaging $100 each. The seeds were sent to clients by regular mail. The seven people are facing 49 charges under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and the Criminal Code of Canada. The offences were committed in Quebec, Canada, North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere in the world between March 12, 1998 and January 31, 2006. Nine searches were carried out during the week of January 30, 2006 in order to gather evidence that criminal activities had been committed. The searches were conducted in Montreal and Laval, as well as in the residences of three of the accused, a business, three post office boxes, a vehicle and a safe-deposit box.

These searches led to the seizure of 200,000 cannabis seeds, more than $183,362 in US currencies and $14,000 in Canadian currencies, both in cash and postal money orders, three one-kilogram gold bricks, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, a Mazda RX8 and many purchase orders.

Since the searches were conducted, 272 orders have been intercepted by the police. The amount of seeds seized during the searches could have made it possible to operate approximately 500 cannabis greenhouses of 400 plants each, which represent 42 million joints sold on the street.

The seven accused are liable to 10 years' imprisonment. Since the possession of cannabis seeds is illegal under Schedule II of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, clients of the network could also receive a visit from the police.

It should be noted that Project "Courriel", a first in Canada, is the fruit of the work of the new Marihuana Grow Operations Enforcement Team.

This new drug enforcement team is one of the seven teams established by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police across Canada in 2004 to combat the scourge of marihuana. The main objectives of these teams are to interdict drugs before they arrive in our communities and to target and destroy the infrastructure and the networks used by criminal organizations involved in marihuana production. These organizations constitute a threat to public safety and well-being.

[Abrad]

"This new drug enforcement team is one of the seven teams established by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police across Canada in 2004 to combat the scourge of marihuana."

The scourge of marihuana???

[motorhead]

"Heaven's Stairway" January & February Orders Seized - WARNING
by Jodie Giesz-Ramsay (28 Feb, 2006) If you've ordered seeds, you could be caught up in the Montreal bust
WARNINGCannabis Culture magazine is warning everyone who bought seeds from Heaven's Stairway Seed Company in January and February 2006 to take ANY and ALL percautions to protect themselves from possible investigation, arrest, or detainment by the RCMP.

This is posted without any personal or financial interest or gain; we just want to WARN, PROTECT and INFORM those who may be at risk!

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have been investigating Overgrow.com and Heaven's Stairway, among other affiliates, since November 2004.

Please be careful and diligent if YOU could be involved! Spread this information all over the internet for others to use. Perhaps we can save cannabis gardeners from being busted, just as we did when Emery Seeds was shut down.

[Alfa]

"conspiring for the purpose of cannabis cultivation via the Internet."
"These sites were used to ... obtain information on cannabis cultivation."
"These Internet sites also suggested ways to outsmart the police."
"The main objectives of these teams are ... to target and destroy the infrastructure and the networks used by criminal organizations involved in marihuana production."

That looks like the definitive end of Overgrow. I would not dare to host drug related forums in Canada.

[Sklander]

Wow. Don't you just love this fucking country...

[robbiedont]

But why do companies selling anything remotely dodgy keep customers information?

In the UK we have the data protection act that says we have to keep details for a certain amount of time, is it the same in the US/Canada?

Would it not make more sense if your selling hydrophonics/seeds/research drugs to ship stuff then shred all customers details?