- 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. Convicted and sentenced to 5 years mandatory minimum for growing 100+ plants over three years (March 2008). UPDATE: A federal appeals court upheld Fry and Schafer’s sentences in November 2010. They surrendered and were sent to to prison on May 2, 2011. Read more and see their website
Write:
MARION P FRY, 15840-097
SCP Dublin Camp
5675 8th Street – Camp Parks
Dublin, California 94568
- Hayward, Dec 12, 2006 – DEA & IRS raid Local Patients’ Group, arrest owner Shon Squier, 34 and manager Valerie Herschel, 23, seize $2 million in assets. LPG had already agreed to shut its doors at the end of the month after having violated the city’s limit on quantity of product on premises. Squier and Herschel charged with distribution, maintaining drug premises, and money laundering. In August 2010, Squier received a sentence of 30 months in prison.
SHON MATTHEW SQUIER 90028-111
CCM SACRAMENTO
501 I STREET, SUITE 9-400
SACRAMENTO, CA 95814
RELEASE DATE: 06-01-2012
- February 12, 2010 – Denver resident Chris Bartkowicz’s medical marijuana garden was raided by the DEA the day after he was interviewed on a local television station. Bartkowicz, who allegedly had 120-224 plants, was charged in federal court on Feb. 16. Read more. UPDATE: Bartkowicz pleaded guilty on 10/20/2010 and was sentenced to five years in prison followed by 8 years of supervised probation on January 28, 2011. Read more.
- Los Angeles, May 27, 2008. DEA arrests Virgil Grant, owner of six LA-area dispensaries. Grant indicted on charges of drug conspiracy, money laundering, and operating a drug-related premises within 1,000 feet from a school. Also indicted: Grant’s wife Pshyra plus Stanley Jerome Cole, an employee accused of selling marijuana to an undercover agent. DEA began investigating Grant following an accident in which a truck driven by Jeremy White killed a driver and paralyzed a CHP officer. White had a quantity of edibles obtained from Grant’s facility in Compton and confessed to being DUI on marijuana. He was sentenced to six years in prison on March 22, 2010. Read more.
- Chico. – Bryan Epis 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 August 9, 2004. In May 2009, in an unpublished opinion, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reaffirmed Epis’s 10-year mandatory minimum without holding a hearing. The panel included Judge Jay Bybee, recently indicted as an international war criminal by Spain for having authored the DOJ’s notorious torture memos. See a MoveOn.org petition to impeach Judge Bybee. UPDATE: On February 22, 2010 Judge Damrell ordered Epis back to prison to serve the remainder of his 10-year mandatory minimum sentence. Download a petition to release Bryan.
- Lake Co. – DEA raids Eddy Lepp‘s medicinal gardens Aug. 18th, 2004. Over 32,000 plants grown in public view along highway. 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. Sept 2, 2008: Lepp found guilty by a federal jury on one count of conspiracy to distribute or to possess with the intent to distribute, and another count for manufacture or possession with the intent to distribute. With regard to both counts, jurors made the finding that the offenses involved at least a thousand marijuana plants, punishable by 10-year mandatory minimum. Court rejected Lepp’s claim of constitutional protection for religious and medical use. On May 18, 2009 Lepp was sentenced to 10 years and surrendered July 6, 2010 for incarceration.
Write Eddy at:
Charles Edward Lepp #90157-011
Federal Prison Camp
3705 West Farm Road
Lompoc, CA 93436
- Modesto, Sep 27th 2006 – DEA raids California Healthcare Collective, a medical marijuana dispensary which had been operating and paying taxes for more than a year. Proprietors Ricardo Montes, 26, and Luke Scarmazzo, 26, found guilty of operating a continuing criminal enterprise.(May 08). On learning that the offense had a mandatory 20-year minimum sentence, two jurors filed declarations with U.S. District Court in Fresno recanting their verdict, and lawyers are seeking a retrial (Sept. 08). Scarmazzo sentenced to 21 years and 10 months and Montes to 20 years (Nov 08). Two other defendants, Bradley Wickliffe, 28, and Brad Heinmiller, 32, pled guilty and sentenced to 100 hours community service plus two years probation. Charges against Stephen J. DeMattos, 24, were dropped (Sep 07). Four other defendants, Jose Malagon, 33; Antonio Malagon, 28; Monica Valencia, 25, and Lucky Jamal Boissiere, 26 pled guilty April, 2008. Valencia was sentenced to 366 days on August 20. UPDATE 1/11: On January 5, 2011, a federal appeals court upheld the convictions of Scarmazzo and Montes, denying them a new trial.
- LA, July 17, 2007. Larry Kristich and James Carberry indicted for having operated a chain of medical marijuana dispensaries known as "Compassionate Caregivers." The chain had outlets in Oakland, West Hollywood, Ukiah, Bakersfield, San Francisco San Diego and Alameda County, before being forced to close following a bust of their West Hollywood "Yellow House" in 2005. The indictment charges that Compassionate Caregivers made over $95 million in sales. Also indicted: James Ealy on money laundering charges. Ealy pled guilty to misdemeanor possession and sentenced to 1,000 hours community service (April 28, 2008). Carberry sentenced to 5 years probation 4/30/08. Kristich sentenced on 2/3/09 to 5 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.
- 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. Blake sentenced to 18 months, September 2006. Davidson jumped bail and re-arrested, sentenced to 41 months.
- Humboldt County, May 4, 2006 – Timothy Dellas was convicted of one count of “manufacture” of marijuana and of one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana involving more than 1,000 plants. The Humboldt County Sheriff turned the case over to federal law enforcement after executing a search warrant in June 2003 based on information from an informant. At a pretrial hearing Dellas testified that he was growing for dispensaries, and a dispensary operator appeared in court and attempted to testify for him. At the sentencing hearing in January 2007, Tim again testified that he was growing for dispensaries, and later reiterated this in his statement before the judge. Nonetheless, the court sentenced him to a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison and five years supervised release.
- 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. Government files for forfeiture of Marino’s home and for his rented storefront premises owned by landlord Richard Ryan. Marino indicted Jan 2006 on 19 counts for distribution, manufacture, and money laundering, sentenced to 51 months + 48 mo. supervised release. Jul 22, 2008.