C
CANNATOPIA
Best of luck to you friend.
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Being charged with rootballs and stalks
- Thread starter Hemmed up
- Start date
David762
Member
RE: "Fish In A Barrel"
RE: "Fish In A Barrel"
The Feds seem to like "easy pickings", which imho is why they go after cannabis growers instead of crack & meth dealers -- they might get hurt. States' MMJ programs offers the DEA "low hanging fruit", and once they get involved they're like pit bulls.
Your details illustrate just how important it is to keep your grow operation clear of all previous growing cycle detris -- old root balls and stalks should be disposed of ASAP. That, and avoid retaining any "documentation" of your prior grows -- no sense in handing LEO the evidence to hang you with.
Which also brings up another related issue -- if the DEA and local LEOs are going to raid MMJ dispensaries and cooperatives (often for intel gathering), why should anyone both to register with their county (in CA) to get a "420 card"? Why not just stick to the 215 doctor's recommendation?
RE: "Fish In A Barrel"
The Feds seem to like "easy pickings", which imho is why they go after cannabis growers instead of crack & meth dealers -- they might get hurt. States' MMJ programs offers the DEA "low hanging fruit", and once they get involved they're like pit bulls.
Your details illustrate just how important it is to keep your grow operation clear of all previous growing cycle detris -- old root balls and stalks should be disposed of ASAP. That, and avoid retaining any "documentation" of your prior grows -- no sense in handing LEO the evidence to hang you with.
Which also brings up another related issue -- if the DEA and local LEOs are going to raid MMJ dispensaries and cooperatives (often for intel gathering), why should anyone both to register with their county (in CA) to get a "420 card"? Why not just stick to the 215 doctor's recommendation?
M
Mountain
I wonder what they 'net' from busting meth dealers compared to cannabis farmers? Peeps associated with meth are a dysfunctional group and not a lot going for them. I know picture history/documentation, especially if you are well organized, can be a liability but seems to be less important than other evidence but still evidence.
I don't want peeps to get the impression I believe they should throw in the towel if the authorities come down on them. Don't make any decisions until you absolutely have to. Each situation is different and ultimately you are the one making the decision and not your attorney as they only act on your behalf. Fed level is very tough though.
Thanks for all the replies... The feds want me to squeel or do ten plus is what they are telling me. Still dont know how they got me no affvidavit released yet.. I do have a good lawyer and he is certainly worth the extra money so far. There are some things working for me that could get me off with no snitching, just cant really share them here until this thing is finished. The feds are sniffing thru my imac and my chats thru adium. No history saved, and otr was always used. My guess is they will pull them from my isp and decrypt. Lawyers say chats dont hold up incourt unlesss they have both ppl involved testifying against one anotherabout what was said. Anyhow ill keep you posted as i know more. Wish me freedom!
M
Mountain
10+ sounds nuts and a major stretch for canna stuff. The peeps I knew that fell to Fed BS got 5 max.
Hmmmm on the second part.
M
medwa
Freedom!
Blueshark
Active member
Hemmed, Good luck with your case. Hope for the best. Rootballs and stalks is pretty weak and shows you how desperate they really are. The way I see it, it's just another TAX on the working man.... Cracks me up how they don't give a damn about border security but a 'legal citizen' gets raked over the coals for a few plants?
Hey, Federal Chumps...You suck!!
Hey, Federal Chumps...You suck!!
Wow! I'm really glad that juries don't look at things like you do.
I completely disagree with that analogy...
Anytime LEO offers a deal they have a weak case and they know it.
Never accept the offer unless you KNOW the evidence against you is solid and you would convict if you were given the same facts and evidence if you were on the jury.
Dude don't let them flip you... I know it sucks to be in that position, but keep your whits and faith in justice. More and more people are waking up to the myths and lies about mj and given that you actually have a really good chance of getting a MMJ patient, (or user) on your jury who knows what's going on.
Besides: I don't know all the details and crap or if your attorney has thought of it or not, but WHO can prove that those root balls weren't there when you moved in? Who can prove that some jack ass didn't just toss em over your fence to dispose of em?
Hell man all of us dispose of root balls one way or another and I KNOW for a fact that I have read in these very forums about people tossing em in any available, secluded dumpster or garbage can to get rid of em.
Myself, I beat the dirt out and burn the roots/stems in my fireplace, but hells fire man! Anybody could have dumped em there.
And thinking or discussing mj isn't illegal. I only wish the feds would try and find some ICMag members to testify about discussions on here. Damn look at all the fun, funny and joking threads and discussions on here. Do you suppose they could prove or disprove all the BS I post on here? Nope, cause it's the internet and fictional, hypothetical and just plain entertainment.
Hang in there buddy.
glad i came across this thread. Hope all ends well for you hemmed. Hey Stress or David, could you take the hardware disk out of a computer or laptop, then destroy it? Or just take it out and put it back in whenever you wanted to? No one would be able to recover anything without the hardware disk correct?
Without the actual, physical hardware disk there is nothing that ties back to anybody or anything relating to the computer. The point was that "if" data is recovered, it still has to be connected to an accused. And that is much easier if you use programs that are designed by the government, from the start to snitch on you and monitor your "computer use".
Look man it really is simple:
If you never take a picture; it can't ever haunt you or incriminate you.
BUT if you do take a picture, you have "created evidence";
Where would you keep it safe?
Internet? well if you advertise, somebody will probably come knocking.
Computer? well if they look there then you are already busted...
SO Damage control. What evidence could they find on your computer? pictures? emails?
delete them and defrag... then password your pc. or not.
Because if you are actually doing something illegal and in the process, you document and record your illegal actions...
Ya know it might be time to go back to school, cause I saw that lesson on "Charlies Angels" back in 2nd grade.
Look man it really is simple:
If you never take a picture; it can't ever haunt you or incriminate you.
BUT if you do take a picture, you have "created evidence";
Where would you keep it safe?
Internet? well if you advertise, somebody will probably come knocking.
Computer? well if they look there then you are already busted...
SO Damage control. What evidence could they find on your computer? pictures? emails?
delete them and defrag... then password your pc. or not.
Because if you are actually doing something illegal and in the process, you document and record your illegal actions...
Ya know it might be time to go back to school, cause I saw that lesson on "Charlies Angels" back in 2nd grade.
David762
Member
You most certainly could take the hard drive out of your computer in order to destroy it -- I recommend thermite (or thermate), a chemical mixture of Aluminum and (black) Iron Oxide (+ Sulfur). Just using a hammer won't securely destroy the data on the hard disk. Some people take the hard disk apart and use a belt sander on the platter surfaces.
If you are starting off with a fresh Operating System installation (after cryptographically secure disk erase), you could create a User account that uses a USB thumb drive as that User's Home Directory.
Unfortunately, it's actually a bit more complicated than that, because every modern operating system caches disk to memory to disk (not a typo). Spare Random Access Memory is used to cache the Disk Reads & Writes; Virtual Memory uses Disk Space to cache pages of Random Access Memory.
I would be inclined (linux & unix friendly) to build a custom "Live CD" boot disk with my applications on CD, and configured with my Home Directory on USB Thumb Drive. Once the Live CD ISO image is configured the way you want, you "burn" it to CDROM, and remove your Hard Disk. You can take your OS with you; you can stash your USB Thumb Drive; and solid state memory like a Thumb Drive is far more sensitive to fire or a sledgehammer than a Hard Disk is. At that point, when your computer is turned off and the USB Thumb drive is removed, the only place where your data was stored inside the computer, in Random Access Memory, will disappear in 30 minutes or less (Power Off Mode, NOT Sleep Mode).
M
Mountain
I don't agree with that. I do think they're always looking for an expedient resolution. If they don't have anything the deal they're offering should get better. 'They' have all the time in the world and will just try and wear you out though. Take a weak case, and I mean weak from a defendant's position, before the judge and he'll/she'll just get pissed off for wasting their time.
Not saying cases have not been brought about by someone advertising on the net but I'd bet money virtually all cases are created by 'real life' activity and anything on the net just supports their case. If your poking the hornet's nest with a stick (like some idiot that was running a dispensary, posted a video of himself with a box full of cash and dared the authorities to come get him) then you should be prepared for some problems. Yeah he went to jail.
Since the statute of limitations has long since run out...when I was a stupid kid in high school I knew they had me on something and copped to it immediately. Went before the judge, my attorney told me it was easier to convince 1 person instead of 12, and got 60 days instead of the 5+ years he was handing out for similar crimes (got lucky I guess). While the case was in process a detective from the next city over questioned me about something they were trying to solve and my mom was like...'Jeez...not something else' in front of the detectives...and I just smiled (inside) cause I knew he/they had nothing. So I copped to what I knew they had on me and told them to fuck off on the other thing even though I knew they knew I did it.
Computers were barely invented when I was a kid so no way to track that info down
Yep... I agree. Mostly. Except: IF they had a solid case? Why offer a deal?
See, a prosecutors career is gauged by convictions. That's how they progress in their career and life. Bigger convictions means bigger promotions.
SO if they have a solid case, it is in their own selfish interest to say "FUCK YOU" (just like you would if you knew you CAN'T lose) and go to trial.
Not saying cases have not been brought about by someone advertising on the net butI'd bet money virtually all cases are created by 'real life' activity and anything on the net just supports their case. If your poking the hornet's nest with a stick (like some idiot that was running a dispensary, posted a video of himself with a box full of cash and dared the authorities to come get him) then you should be prepared for some problems. Yeah he went to jail.
Since the statute of limitations has long since run out...when I was a stupid kid in high school I knew they had me on something and copped to it immediately. Went before the judge, my attorney told me it was easier to convince 1 person instead of 12, and got 60 days instead of the 5+ years he was handing out for similar crimes (got lucky I guess). While the case was in process a detective from the next city over questioned me about something they were trying to solve and my mom was like...'Jeez...not something else' in front of the detectives...and I just smiled (inside) cause I knew he/they had nothing. So I copped to what I knew they had on me and told them to fuck off on the other thing even though I knew they knew I did it.
Computers were barely invented when I was a kid so no way to track that info down
Buddy we are saying the same thing while smoking 2 different kinds of weed.
"Don't leave tracks".
In other words: don't tie your own knot.
Ahh yes. The 'Prisoner's Dilemma', a favorite tool of detectives the world over. Plays on a combination of lack of intelligence, lack of trust and fear. No wonder it works.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner's_dilemma
designer
Member
All this talk of how to destroy a hard disk will not help if they are kicking your door down before they did it.
The point is if or not rootballs are evidence of a crime here. Computer data would just support the case that rootballs were in your property if they were recorded.
I think the defense will have a rough time if that is the case.
The point is if or not rootballs are evidence of a crime here. Computer data would just support the case that rootballs were in your property if they were recorded.
I think the defense will have a rough time if that is the case.
M
Mountain
They want to offer a deal because they don't want to go to trial. If they took a lot of stuff to trial they wouldn't get anything done. Who would you give a promotion to...someone who's clearing most of his cases fast, getting convictions, getting judgments or the guy getting most everyone on the maximum and taking a lot more time? Would be interesting to know what metrics they actually use for all of this stuff.
Personally I'd take the guy slamming stuff out and producing cumulative numbers. You get a tough case then throw it to the guy who's better suited for a court trial. Lot's of scare tactics and manipulation involved with things like this.
That was taken a bit out of context but will agree that you need to keep a tight ship otherwise you are possibly giving them more ammunition. Your place should be kept like someone could walk in at any minute. I just don't see that posting stuff online is the issue. Virtually none of what I've seen happen over the years is from posting pics, grow diaries, etc.
M
Mountain
True that. Still good to know how to wipe stuff clean and destroy an old drive if you want to. One of the better things I've gotten from this thread is the use of thumb drives for all net activity. I mean if you're at your puter you keep the drive in. If you take off off then simple step to remove the damn thing and stash someplace like in a shirt pocket in your closet or something.
Chester
Member
And you can do a decent job of wrecking a thumb drive by immersing it in a mild bleach solution. Unless it is cleaned thoroughly and dried quickly, it will corrode into a irretrievable mess inside.
Not quite as easy to bleach those platters in a disk drive. Still, chlorine bleach leaves salt behind as a residue. And salt and electronic components just don't get along.
Stay safe.
Not quite as easy to bleach those platters in a disk drive. Still, chlorine bleach leaves salt behind as a residue. And salt and electronic components just don't get along.
Stay safe.
designer
Member
Every bust that I have heard about in the last ten years,on the boards, or otherwise, the cops seized all computers.
Hey I love this site and certainly have benefited from it, but everything you say can and will be used against you. If you have photos in your house of 100 plants and they find 100 rootballs then they have a better case against you than if they just had the rootballs. Common sense.
It's not about this site's security either, as I sort of trust that is okay to a point. It is about the information that has been on your computer, like photo files.
