Why do conservatives want to make the law look like an ass?
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004368231_webhomegrown23m.html
Police, feds raiding Seattle's indoor marijuana growers
By Mike Carter
Seattle Times staff re****ter
KEN LAMBERT / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Auburn police officer Jamie Douglas and his drug-sniffing dog Gunner, walk
past containers of fertilizer during an investigation inside Scitek Garden
Supply
in Auburn.
Police and federal agents say they have broken up a major indoor
marijuana-growing operation, and have indicted 15 people and shut
down two King County garden shops.
Two indictments unsealed today in federal court outline what the U.S.
attorney's office is calling "Operation Green Reaper," which involved
thousands of pot plants.
The owners of two garden supply shops, charged with conspiracy and
money laundering, appeared before a U.S. Magistrate today while police
and Drug Enforcement Administration agents searched more than two
dozens cars and homes during early morning raids.
At a news conference this afternoon, First Assistant U.S. Attorney
Mark Bartlett, flanked by DEA Special-Agent-in-Charge Arnold
Moorin, said the 13-month investigation involved seizure of more Police,
feds raiding Seattle's indoor marijuana growers
than 15,000 marijuana plants — more than 800 this morning alone —
and $65,000 cash. A number of cars and homes were seized and
agents expected to arrest more than dozen others on state and
federal charges by the end of the day.
The investigation also led to the search of a Kent mortgage company.
Agents say 19 of the 27 marijuana grow-houses raided in the past year
were financed using the services of the mortgage company. Assistant
U.S. Attorney Sarah Vogel, who has overseen the investigation, said
no charges have been filed against mortgage company officials, but
that the investigation is ongoing.
Agents raided and shut down Scitek Garden Supply in Auburn and
Greenhouse & Garden Supply in Tukwila. Between August 2006
and February of this year, agents allege more than $1 million moved
through personal and business accounts associated with Scitek
Garden Supply
The defendants are charged with conspiracy and money-laundering.
Already in custody before today's raids were Thiet Van Tran and
Quyen The Nguyen. The indictments identified Nguyen as the owner
of Greenhouse & Garden Supply, and is accused of providing
horticultural supplies to indoor marijuana growers, including "starter
marijuana plants." Similar allegations are made in the indictment against
Scitek and its various owners.
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