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Drug Trafficking felony Narcotics

Marijuana Drug Bust in Phoenix

Police Finds Crate Carrying Marijuana

 

Metro police intercepted a crate containing 140 pounds of marijuana shipped from Phoenix for distribution to street dealers in Nashville Thursday.

When detectives received information that the 327 pound wooden crate located at a local freight company could be tied to criminal activity, they sent Caine, a police dog, to check, police said.

With the help of a Caine, officers found 140 pounds of marijuana inside the cargo during a search warrant, repackaged the marijuana and followed the shipment to a home in the 5000 block of Ryan Allen Court, the affidavit continues.

Police arrested Tusabi Edwards, 40, and Terrence Reames, 38, in connection with possession with intent to sell, deliver, or manufacture a controlled substance in a school zone.

Depending on the grade of the marijuana, current drug prices provided by Metro police show it’s valued at anywhere between $385,000 to $630,000.

His co-defendant, Reames, told police Edwards came to Nashville to oversee the load of marijuana and that Edwards was supposed to sell the marijuana in Nashville. Reams also said he was to receive $2000 for his part to distribute the marijuana for providing a place to receive and break down the marijuana for re-sale in Nashville, the affidavit states.

Edwards is being held in lieu of $200,000 bond. Reames’ bond is set at $50,000.

As of Friday morning both men remained incarcerated at the Metro jail.

PART 2

The Maricopa County Drug Task Force removes Marijuana plants and growing materials after shutting down an allegedly illegal grow operation at a warehouse located near 40th Street and Washington on Tuesday, April 19, 2016, in Phoenix, Ariz. Danny Miller / azcentral.com | The Republic

Armed with a search warrant, authorities arrived at a grow warehouse near 40th and Washington streets at 7:30 a.m. and seized more than 600 marijuana plants in what may have been one of the county’s largest drug busts, said Lt. Jeff Gentry of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.

Hash, edibles and kief — a dried form of marijuana — also were found at the warehouse.The marijuana collected from the warehouse will be dried at a Drug Enforcement Administration facility and then will be packaged as evidence, Gentry said.

A total of 12 warrants were served in Scottsdale, Phoenix and Fountain Hills in connection with the investigation. Among the items seized were guns and more than $100,000 in cash, according to officials.

A father and son are believed to head more than 10 similar marijuana grow facilities in Phoenix and northern Arizona that have been running for about a year and a half and have generated at least $16 million for the operators during that time, Gentry said. That dollar amount is a conservative estimate, he said.

Arrested Tuesday were Perry Lee Hestor, 57, Brandon Lee Hestor, 35, Christopher Neil Rafferty, 36, James Allen Donaldson, 62, and Christopher Yancy Martin, 44. All have been booked into the Fourth Avenue Jail and face charges including fraudulent schemes and illegal possession and selling of marijuana, officials said.

Gentry said those involved in the illegal enterprise posed as caregivers, which, under the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act, would allow them to grow up to 12 marijuana plants provided they did not live within 25 miles of a dispensary. The task force kept the warehouse under surveillance for about four months and did not witness any deliveries that exceeded 25 miles, Gentry said.

A Sheriff’s Office statement said the business is believed to have grown over 2,000 pounds of marijuana per year since they began their operation in late 2013.

Authorities were initially directed to the warehouse after complaints of a strong odor wafting in the area.

In a press conference Tuesday afternoon, sheriff’s spokesman Joaquin Enriquez explained the business flouted state standards for legal dispensaries by neglecting to have background checks for employees, dispensary fees, agent cards, safety regulations, product inspection, inventory controls, taxes and transportation limits or regulations.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio said detectives believe up to 25 individuals were involved in the illegal enterprise and about 15 more suspects are under investigation.

He said the operation involved people “just trying to make money” and that investigators found no connection between the business and Mexican drug cartels.

“We cannot blame Mexico for this,” Arpaio said, tapping the wooden podium forcefully with his finger. “This is domestic. This is home grown.”

The Maricopa County Drug Suppression Task Force includes law-enforcement personnel from agencies including area police departments, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, the U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

 

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drug possesion Medical Marijuana

Medical Marijuana Still Counts as DUI

Court Ruling Proves Medical Marijuana Can Cause DUI

 

People have been speculating like crazy ever since laws have been passing for the use of Marijuana medical or residential. Citizens have had a ton of questions how this is going to work? What if someone uses Marijuana and then drives? Will they be punished? Is there a limit to how much you can smoke? How do you know how that will affect the person using it?

 

Arizona lawmakers have answered some of those tough questions. A recent court ruling says that Arizona residents who have Medical Marijuana Cards that allows them to legally smoke pot can and will be prosecuted under certain laws against driving under the influence while they have Marijuana in their system.

 

Court Rules For Making it Possible for DUI if Using Marijuana

 

A state Court of Appeals panel, which consists of three judges has ruled just last month, that a medical Marijuana user is not immune from prosecution under the DUI laws. Seems like Arizona law is making it pretty clear they are not allowing people to use Marijuana as an excuse to drive recklessly. There was a different panel of Court of Appeals judges who has also reached the same decision in a ruling on Tuesday.

 

The worries comes from a case of two defendants who both had medical marijuana cards. The two defendants tried to point at a medical marijuana law provision that would provide partial legal shield for the use of marijuana (pot) that is prescribed by a physician. Of course, the latest ruling shows that physicians do not actually prescribe medical marijuana, they just certify a patient’s eligibility to do so.

 

So don’t think you can get a little buzz then drive and say it’s ok because it’s medical marijuana, that excuse won’t work in Arizona.

 

Source: https://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/central-phoenix/2nd-ruling-pot-law-doesnt-provide-dui-immunity

 

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assault drug possesion felony

Man With Violent History Shoots Phoenix Police Detective

Phoenix Police Detective Killed by Man with Violent Past

William Thornton has a pretty violent history. His violent way of life took a toll of a Phoenix Police Detective. The man shot and killed the Phoenix Detective and even injured another person.

According to the ABC15 Investigators, they did some searching through the court documents and found that William Thornton is facing multiple convictions.

William Thornton has more trouble with Phoenix Police

When William Thornton was only fifteen years old, he had his first run in with the authorities. This was in the year 2000. William was arrested and convicted of attempted aggravated assault.

Just one short year after his assault charge he was in some more trouble, this time for a marijuana possession charge. Later, in 2003 he was in bigger trouble. William was given six and a half years in prison for an armed robbery and theft.

After all of this trouble, William still hadn’t learned his lesson. In 2009 he was heading back to prison for stealing his own step-father’s truck. Which he then ran from the police when they tried to stop him.

Once again he faced more trouble, in 2012 he was also convicted and sentenced to more prison time. This time for another drug possession and resisting arrest.

Now he is the main suspect in an attempted murder which happened on February 25, 2014. In this incident a man was shot in the back. This was in the neighborhood that is close to 40th Avenue and Camelback.

Source: https://www.abc15.com/news/local-news/investigations/man-who-shot-phoenix-police-detective-has-long-history-of-violence

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drug possesion Drug Trafficking felony Narcotics

Mexican Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking

Forty Year Old Sentenced for Drug Trafficking

 

On Monday, A forty year old Mexican man was sentenced for a growing crime of drug trafficking. He was sentenced to seventeen and a half years in the Arizona Federal Prison for the Drug Trafficking crime. It seems like a harsher punishment is hopefully so others will see how wrong this is and spook them into quitting.

 

According to the Federal Prosecutors, The Mexican man’s name is Luis Enrique Villegas-Lugo. Back in February, Luis Enrique Villegas-Luga pleaded guilty to “conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine”. I guess one good thing is he didn’t fight the charges, but usually pleading guilty gets you a slight lesser sentence.

 

Drug Trafficking Investigation

The police authorities say that the organization that operated this drug trafficking was originally investigated from July 2006 to September 2006 over the Phoenix area. The ring of drug traffickers allegedly imported methamphetamine from Mexico and then transported it to a stash house that was located in Phoenix. The drugs were then distributed to the waiting customers.

Police Seized Meth, Guns, and Drug Packaging Materials

During the investigation the investigating police law enforcement agents seized almost twenty pounds of meth as well as two handguns, two rifles, as well as some drug packaging materials from the stash house in Phoenix. Luis Enrique Villegas-Lugo was actually charged for the drug trafficking back in February of 2009. He is just now getting his sentencing which he got seventeen and a half years. The court probably allowed him the 5 years he already served to be taken off making him have twelve and a half more years to serve.

Source : https://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/central-phoenix/mexican-man-gets-prison-in-drug-trafficking-case

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Man Gets Arrested for Biting and Resisting Officer

Man Bites Officer and Resists Arrest

Monday morning did not start off too good for a Mesa Police Officer after an altercation with a man that he was trying to arrest. The man was arrested early Morning after the Mesa Police officer stated that the man had bit an Officer who had attempted to stop him.

A police Officer from the Mesa police department, stopped Brien Prater very early this morning at 2 o’ clock in the morning. According to the Mesa Police Detective, Esteban Flores who is a department spokesman, they stopped him at the 40th Street and Arbor Avenue because the mesa officer thought Mr. Prater was a “suspicious person”.

 

Man Tries to Flee The Scene

The officers were waiting on the dispatchers to see if Prater had any search warrants against him and while they were waiting Prater decided to run away. The officer had to strike the suspect several times and then Prater actually bit the officer several times on the arm. Apparently he left some marks on the officers arm, because they were able to record the multiple bite marks. The officer finally caught up with Prater and Prater was still not following the officer’s commands. Prater tried to push up from the ground as one officer was on top of him, according to the officials.

According to Detective Flores, the officer as well as Prater were taken to the local hospital, Banner Gateway Medical Center so that they could be evaluated.

 

Man Is Arrested for Assault on Police Officer

Mr. Prater is in some pretty serious trouble. The man was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault on a police officer as well as resisting arrest, possession of dangerous drugs and marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and he also had an outstanding warrant for his arrest.

Source: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/mesa/2014/08/18/man-bites-mesa-police-officer-abrk/14248175/

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drug possesion

Arizona Man Charged For Ecstasy Operation

Man Charged For Ecstasy Operation Near Arizona State University

Drug trafficking and manufacturing is becoming a real problem now days. There are a tons of ways to make things and it seems like  people are starting the trade at a much younger age. On March 23, 2014 an Arizona Man was charged for being connected to an ecstasy manufacturing operation. This was all found near the Arizona State University campus in a student apartment.

On Wednesday, Judge Harriett Chavez has ordered the man to serve supervised probation for eighteen months. He also has to complete community service for one hundred hours. The man also revived a $3,660 fine. According to the report, the man pleaded guilty in court to the misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

The pill “factory” was found in December 2013. The man that was arrested on Wednesday was one of the five people who were arrested for the factory. How did the authorities find this pill factory? Well it started with a normal traffic stop along Interstate 17. The police searched the vehicle and had found a backpack which was loaded with some ecstasy pills as well as cocaine.

Source: https://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/central-phoenix/arizona-man-gets-probation-after-ecstasy-factory-found-in-asu-apartment-

Drug Possession Lawyer such as one for an ecstasy case

Phoenix Drug Possession Lawyer