Invoices from "High Times" advertiser led to grow op bust

SomeGuy · Mar 18, 2009

Operation Green Merchant again????

Michigan Live

Invoice from firm that advertises in pro-marijuana magazines led to arrest

GRAND RAPIDS -- Longtime Press sports columnist XXXXX XXXX, accused of growing marijuana in his Northeast Side home, was targeted for investigation after police tracked shipping invoices of a company that advertises in "High Times" magazine, court records showed.

Armed with that information, police sought utility bills, which showed XXXX's electric use was more than twice that of his neighbors.

Police also put his home under surveillance and determined he did not bring his trash to the curb, which is common among marijuana growers, police said.

Investigators in early January also noted a "large amount of mold" under the eaves on the outside of his house, which suggested to them strong grow lights were being used inside the residence, heating the room where marijuana was being grown, and causing condensation on the exterior.

The allegations were contained in search-warrant affidavits made public this week.

Sheriff's Lt. Kevin Kelley confirmed police based the investigation on items shipped by companies that advertised in "High Times" and other pro-marijuana publications.

XXXX bought, "on 11 occasions, hydroponic growing equipment that is specialized in indoor marijuana growing," according to sheriff's Detective Sgt. Todd Butler, who said local authorities received information from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program, a project of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

"Operation Green Thumb has access to shipping invoices from suppliers who advertise their indoor marijuana-growing equipment in magazines such as 'High Times.' XXXXX XXXX bought his hydroponic equipment from one of the suppliers that do, in fact, advertise in this (manner)."

XXXX's lawyer, XXXXX XXXX, could not be reached for comment, but earlier said he was reviewing police information to determine whether he should challenge the reason officers had probable cause to enter XXXX's Fuller Avenue NE house Jan. 19.

XXXX is suspended from The Press with pay pending the legal outcome. He awaits trial on charges of growing from 20 to 200 plants, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison, and a high-court misdemeanor charge of maintaining a drug house. Prosecutors have offered to reduce charges to a four-year felony if he pleads guilty.

Police say 71 marijuana plants and 32 ounces of packaged marijuana were found in the home.

XXXX's wife, XXXXX, awaits trial on charges of marijuana possession and maintaining a drug house.

Both are free on personal recognizance bonds.

XXXX, with no prior criminal record, has worked for The Press since 1985.

Neuronaut · Mar 18, 2009

wish there was a list of these advertisers so they could be avoided.

boroboro · Mar 18, 2009

Does this mean that police right down to a local our county level have access to these 'invoices'? I thought "Operation Green Merchant" was strictly DEA. If bored local police or cops with a crusade against someone can get this invoice data, well... that seems to change the game.

Safe addresses? better get safer...
Ordering legit stuff to your house?
Do I have to wear a wig, take a cab to a hydroponics store, and pay in cash to have any chance at anonymity?

SomeGuy · Mar 18, 2009

boroboro said:
Does this mean that police right down to a local our county level have access to these 'invoices'? I thought "Operation Green Merchant" was strictly DEA.

Kind of appears that way. The got info from a fed source and used that to get local warrants for his electric usage and ultimately a search warrant.

original article said:
who said local authorities received information from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program, a project of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

This sucks!! Just when it looks like its getting better you see some draconian bullshit like this....

Mr. Freeman · Mar 18, 2009

wo man! thats something to worry about. fuck hightimes advertisements.

BobbleheadJed · Mar 18, 2009

Mr. Freeman said:
wo man! thats something to worry about. fuck hightimes advertisements.

"police tracked shipping invoices"

Seems like they look up which companies are advertising in High Times and once the companies ship the orders, the police then can use the shipping invoice/information from the shipping companies. UPS, FEDEX, and USPS most likely. The information came from the shipping companies, not from High Times, it appears. I bet the police don't even know what is being shipped, they just know where it is coming from and going.

So it's probably safe to assume now, that every company that advertises in High Times is having their shipping operations monitored by the police. The companies might not even know their shipping operations are being monitored either. With their software these days, UPS could just email them a list of every order shipped from X company that day, without X company knowing.

Scary. Sad. Completely wasteful use of government human resources and a waste of a family's freedom. He was gainfully employed for more than 20 years at the same company, no record, wasn't smelling up the neighborhood, wasn't causing lots of drug traffic to his house, and seemed normal according to the article. They really had to do a LOT of fishing to catch him.

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

Americans may wake up one day and start following their own rules again. But only when the idiot voters stop being idiots or the country collapses, it appears.

SomeGuy · Mar 18, 2009

I did some reading on the Office of National Drug Control Policy and found out that its now being fronted by Gil Kerlikowske.

The guy in the article was popped in January so the investigation was last year under a different administration.

Hopefully, it was an abuse of the system that let them get this info on the guy and not standard practice. The website below says of the program:
HIDTA

HIDTA said:
Law enforcement organizations within HIDTAs assess drug trafficking problems and design specific initiatives to reduce or eliminate the production, manufacture, transportation, distribution and chronic use of illegal drugs and money laundering.

Reading through the site I just don't think that was the programs original intention and local Barney just abused it.

Makes me wonder if my local Barneys have been up to the same thing.

But anyway!!

Hey, great work Barney! Excellent use of resources! You managed to take a dozen jars of bud off the streets and it only cost the taxpayers a few million dollars!

79towncar · Mar 18, 2009

Wow. Just wow, You have to hand it to them tho they really picked up on something here. This could effect every grower out there because you need to buy your equiptment somewhere.. And the Federal Government knows this. I personally think this constitutes an illegal search but they will combat this by saying " the products that were being shipped were advertised as illegal drug manufactureing equiptment." And this is going to prove to be a serious battle. If they can prove that the equiptment being shipped was marketed directly for manufacture of illegal drugs then that right there is probable cause.. And since they seen these vendors adds in HighTimes haha thats all she wrote.. Defense attourneys will have to prove either that the Federal Government made an illegal search and seizure or that the equiptment that was being shipped was being used for a legal activity. But they already found the person using the equiptment for growing marijuana.. The only hope for the defense is that they can prove an illegal search. But this is hard because even tho the search may have been illegal they were still correct with their suspicions that the equiptments was used for marijuana growing, and the jury won't foget this. Also the evidence was also corraborated with electric bills and other evidence that helped get the warrant issued. I highly doubt the defense has a case here most likely he will accept the guilty plea of 4 years. I also bet the condition of the the plea-agreement is totally compliant with the suspect's permission to seize something maby even the house.. It's a sad day for America when the Federal Government has this type of control..

dontstepongrass · Mar 18, 2009

the guy failed to put out "clean" trash.

mold on the outside of the house? sounds suspect

ordering stuff to his grow address. not wise.

did i miss anything?

Bababooey · Mar 19, 2009

Note to self: don't buy anything from any vendor advertising in High Times....

ureapwhatusow · Mar 19, 2009

HOLY SHIT

this is serious operation green merchant destroyed many lives in the 80's some ppl are just getting outta jail

JQP · Mar 19, 2009

I only pay cash for anything related to my growing. Once in a very great while I will order some general sort of item (like a small electronic greenhouse) over the web, but not much.

I am also very paranoid about ordering seeds.

JQ

SpacedCWBY · Mar 19, 2009

They didn't have anything on this guy except orders coming from a hydro store. Complete BS. Funny I came across this - I was thinking about this guy earlier today, hadn't heard any updates since his civil liberties were violated.

dank.frank · Mar 19, 2009

what disturbs me is that Michigan is supposed to be becoming a medical state...if this is happening, is it going to be safe or is this an obvious sign of degression?

dank.Frank

HindukushMaster · Mar 20, 2009

i wanna put this on the table first and foremose Sd and seedsboutique / gypsy are the only cats id ever get beans from and or have trusted to in the past, soooo i was skimmin thru a high times today stoned in the bookstore and i noticed a full page seedsboutique ad in there..... food for thought

Grendelkhan · Mar 20, 2009

As a victim of the Operation Green Merchant when it rolled thru Northern Cali back in the day, it sadden me to see that they are still pulling this shit. Its like the Bill of Right just disappears when they want it to.
Gkhan.

Ajunta Pall · Mar 20, 2009

Why does this surprise anyone? If it happened once, you know it will happen again. The DEA never stopped watching High Times advertisers and it isn't likely that HT will warn you not to use them, either. Said merchants, no doubt by now, see the DEA's requests as one of the costs of doing business. A nasty little triangle to be sure.

As you can see, the pigs have quite a routine down, so whether or not it's legal has little to do with whether they can get away with it or not.

stasis · Mar 20, 2009

By no means do I know all the whys and wherefores.... But, Seedboutique is coming from outside the USA, and that is prob why it is still OK to use 'em. High times ad or no....

DwellersDue · Mar 20, 2009

Its precisely that reason why i have never ordered off the internet or even from magazines, i only buy from shops or warehouses and never give any details.

SmokeMan · Mar 20, 2009

This just shows how scandelous law enforcement is. Stay one or two steps ahead at all times.

This is a good example of how the cops and dea work out there.

Be careful everyone. Online order to a totally seperate address far away from the spot is what I always do! I hope im still safe doing that???

Invoices from "High Times" advertiser led to grow op bust

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