Recent Posts in Marijuana Category

A man identified as a drug kingpin and a key defendant in a federal gang sweep was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for overseeing the racketeering and drug activities of the Varrio Hawaiian Gardens street gang. George Manuel Flores was arrested in 2009 as part of Operation Knockout, one of the nation's largest gang sweeps. He was labeled a leader in the Hawaiian Gardens gangs and was accused of ordering gang members to collect taxes from drug dealers in this Los Angeles county city. He pleaded guilty to five counts including racketeering conspiracy, being a felon in possession of ammunition and other drug charges. Flores was sentenced by a United States District Judge, who is presiding over the 57-defendant racketeering indictment. Prosecutors portrayed Flores as a drug lord.

As part of his guilty plea, he admitted to distributing mass quantities of drugs, including more than 30 kilograms of heroin, more than 4.5 kilograms of crack cocaine, more than 1.5 kilograms of pure methamphetamine, more than 15 kilograms of narcotics that contained methamphetamine, and more than 100 kilograms of marijuana.

The investigation began after Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Jerry Ortiz was murdered in 2005 by a gang member he was attempting to arrest. In 2009, about 170 gang members were taken into custody in the massive operation. Flores is the last defendant to be sentenced in this federal prosecution. Marcos Romero was sentenced last November to 291 months in federal prison for being a primary wholesaler of narcotics. Brian Viramontes was sentenced in September to 210 months in federal prison for distributing narcotics. This case also revealed a link between the Nazi Low Riders and the gang. Frank Wayne Henley, a member of the Nazi Low Riders gang, was sentenced last November to 262 months in federal prison for supplying members of the Hawaiian Gardens gang with methamphetamine and heroin.

Federal crimes can be labeled as such by falling under federal legislation of Title 18 of the United States Code. A federal crime is defined as a crime that is either made illegal by falling under this legislation, or because of occurring on federal property. Federal crimes are normally investigated by the FBI and are tried in the Federal Court system. Federal courts have their own governing rules and regulations which are different from California State laws. If you are facing federal criminal charges, you will need to discuss your case with a federal criminal defense lawyer who has the special knowledge of this area of the law. At Marks & Brooklier, we have qualified Los Angeles federal criminal defense attorneys to represent you.

Federal criminal defense attorneys Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier are uniquely qualified to represent you in court. They have represented defendants in virtually every major organized crime case prosecuted in Southern California. In 1980, Marks & Brooklier was lead counsel in the "Los Angeles Mafia" case in a major RICO conspiracy case. Conact our office anytime, 24/7, for a free case evaluation. All consultations are strictly confidential.

Two Santa Clarita, California residents responding to a Craigslist ad for a camera were robbed in Hollywood Nov. 20 by three suspects who blocked their vehicle and took all their personal belongings, including their cellphones and cash for the camera. The men wore ski masks and fled in a black BMW with no license plates. Los Angeles Sheriff's Deputies initially had little to go on except for the missing cellphones.

In the ensuing weeks, detectives found a similar incident that took place in the North Hollywood area, investigated by Los Angeles police. Electronic communications were used to identify a potential suspect. That led authorities to the vehicle used in the crime and the arrest Dec. 3 of Talin Shahin, of North Hollywood on suspicion of robbery. Aram Damirjian, of Canyon Country was also arrested just after he appeared in a San Fernando courtroom on an unrelated marijuana case.

During a search of Damirjian's residence in the 28200 block of Winterdale Drive, sheriff's investigators found evidence of a robbery as well as a marijuana growing operation in the garage that included 90 marijuana plants. Damirjian, who is free on bail, faces charges of drug cultivation in addition to robbery. Shahin is being held without bail at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Century Regional Detention Facility.

If you have been accused or charged with robbery or any type of violent crime, it is crucial that you obtain a qualified Los Angeles robbery criminal defense attorney immediately. A conviction for any type of violent crime in the State of California can result in a lifetime sentence in a California penitentiary.

Attorney's Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier have represented clients for robbery and other violent crimes charges since 1976. It takes a dedicated legal team to fight a violent crime charge, and with our firm you can feel condifent that we will provide you with the highest quality criminal defense team possible. Our Los Angeles robbery criminal defense lawyers are aggressive and are well-versed in a court room setting and look forward to assisting you with your case. Contact us for a free consultation, 24/7.

In Fresno, California, a United States Attorney, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge, and Fresno County Sheriff announced the unsealing of a federal indictment charging Bounepheng Savongsy, Phousangkhy Phanthadeth, Manop Souksavath, all of Fresno; Ernson Merisier, of Holbrook, Mass.; Marquis Allen Meca,  of New Bedford, Mass.; and Ruddys A. Pimentel, 28, of Roslindale, Mass.; with conspiring to manufacture, to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute marijuana.

According to criminal complaints filed in the case, the defendants were involved in the interstate shipment and distribution of marijuana that was being grown in Fresno, under the guise of being “medicinal.” The marijuana was grown in agricultural fields in Fresno County that were posted with medicinal marijuana recommendations from medical doctors. Rather than being distributed in California for medicinal purposes, however, the defendants are charged with conspiring to make multiple shipments of large quantities of the marijuana to areas in and around Boston, where the drug was sold for about $3,000 per pound, about three times what it sells for in California.

The criminal complaints indicate that Savongsy is a grower and source of marijuana supply for the out-of-state drug traffickers. His nephew, Phanthadeth, is an interstate transporter who cultivated purportedly medicinal marijuana at the same location in southwest Fresno as his uncle and owns two properties in Fresno where marijuana was grown and processed. Souksavath is an interstate transporter, who has shipped multiple loads to the East Coast, two of which he transported with Phanthadeth. Merisier (a convicted drug felon), Meca, and Pimentel, are marijuana distributors in the Boston area. Phanthadeth and Souksavath were arrested in Utah in the course of transporting marijuana on November 4, 2010, following a traffic stop of their vehicle, which contained about 184 pounds of marijuana. The marijuana was then delivered to Merisier, Meca, and Pimentel in Roslindale, Mass., who agreed to purchase the load for about $570,400. Searches executed in the course of the investigation at locations in Fresno, Cedar City, Utah, and Roslindale, Mass. yielded 11 firearms, approximately 4,620 live marijuana plants, approximately 3,563 pounds of processed marijuana, approximately $115,000 in cash, and jewelry valued at about $9,000.

United States Attorney said: “As this case indicates, armed criminals who engage in the interstate trafficking of marijuana cannot hide their operations behind the label of ‘medicinal’ marijuana. We will continue to root out and prosecute drug traffickers who seek to use California’s medicinal marijuana law to cloak their illegal activity.”

This case is the product of a four-month investigation by the DEA offices in Fresno, Salt Lake City, and Boston, and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, California Department of Justice Central Valley Marijuana Investigation Team, Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, Utah Highway Patrol, Boston Police Department, and North Attleboro Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Karen A. Escobar is prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices in St. George, Utah and Boston assisted in the arrests of the defendants and initial court proceedings.

With the exception of Savongsy, the defendants are in federal custody and detained without bail. An arrest warrant has issued for Savongsy, who is at large. In connection with the execution of one of six federal search warrants obtained in this case, agents also arrested Douangchanh Keovilayvanh, of Sanger, California, who was charged via a federal criminal complaint with possessing marijuana with intent to distribute and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

If convicted of the drug offenses, the defendants, with the exception of Merisier, face a penalty of 10 years to life in prison and a $4 million fine. Based on his prior felony drug conviction, Merisier faces a penalty of 20 years to life in prison and an $8 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Criminal defense attorneys Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier have been representing clients on marijuana drug trafficking matters for over four decades. We are well aware of all the issues and complexities that can arise from such charges and have successfully handled numerous cases for our clients. When faced with marijuana drug trafficking charges you need experienced Los Angeles marijuana drug trafficking criminal defense attorneys with extensive experience in representing clients for drug crimes. Such charges could include offenses for drug possession, drug trafficking and other drug related charges. If you or someone you know has been charged with a drug crime, we recommend you contact us in order to begin to prepare your case for a successful defense.

In Phoenix, Arizona, Stanley William Taylor, Jr., of Cleveland, Ohio, was found guilty of conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute by a federal jury in Phoenix. The trial began before United States District Court Judge Susan R. Bolton on September 8, 2010, and the jury returned its verdict of guilt on September 15, 2010. The defendant was taken into the custody of the United States Marshal Service. 

The evidence at trial showed that a marijuana trafficking organization was acquiring wholesale quantities of marijuana in Arizona, and then shipping the drug to purchasers in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. The defendant agreed to use his position as a UPS delivery driver in Cleveland, Ohio to assist the drug trafficking organization with the delivery of boxes filled with illegal drugs. A Special Agent with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration testified that the organization’s drug ledgers reflected the sale of more than 6,900 pounds of marijuana. The banking records of the defendant’s associates showed more than $900,000 in cash deposits while the two-year conspiracy was underway.

“The success of a drug trafficking organization requires the complicity of many, and this verdict demonstrates you will be held to answer,” said Dennis K. Burke, the United States Attorney for the District of Arizona.

A conviction for conspiracy to possess at least 100 kilograms of marijuana with intent to distribute carries a maximum penalty of 40 years, a $2,000,000 fine, or both. In determining an actual sentence, Judge Bolton will consult the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges. 

The investigation leading to the guilty verdict was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, the Mesa Police Department, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Tempe Police Department, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by the Assistant United States Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix

Federal criminal defense lawyers Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier have been representing clients on drug trafficking matters for three decades. We are well aware of all the issues and complexities that can arise from such charges and have successfully handled numerous cases. When faced with marijuana drug trafficking charges you need a skilled Los Angeles and United States drug trafficking criminal defense attorney with experience in representing clients for drug crimes. Such charges could include offenses for drug possession, drug trafficking and other drug related charges. If you or someone you know has been charged with a drug trafficking crime, we recommend you contact us in order to begin to prepare your case for a successful defense.

The Los Angeles County sheriff has escalated his war of words against California medical marijuana dispensaries, saying as many as 97 percent operate as criminal enterprises.

Some of the pot shops get marijuana from Mexican drug cartels, and most dole out pot to people with no medical need for it, Sheriff Lee Baca said.

"Millions of dollars are being made for profit, and it's all illegal," the sheriff said.

Baca presented no evidence to support his claim. His comments coincided with a recent announcement that he would lead efforts against a November ballot measure to legalize marijuana for personal use in California. Critics said his claims about the dispensaries were politically motivated and untrue.

"When they run out of scare tactics, they come out with stuff like this," said Michael Backes, a board member of the Cornerstone Research Collective, which provides marijuana to patients in the Eagle Rock area of Los Angeles.

Backes stressed there was no need to buy pot from Mexican cartels because more than enough quality marijuana is legally grown in California to supply the dispensaries.

A Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman, who works in the San Francisco office, said it was difficult to substantiate or refute Baca's claims because of challenges in determining where pot found in dispensaries was produced.

Baca, however, said chemical analyses of pot confiscated during drug raids against street dealers showed similar pesticide content and other characteristics as marijuana sold in dispensaries.

Allegations of criminal activity involving pot shops increased after a string of deaths, including the slaying of three men in West Hollywood, California who police suspect had been buying up bulk quantities of high-grade marijuana from dispensaries and reselling it on the street.

The suspect in that case confessed to killing the men when he didn't have enough cash to complete a transaction. In addition, two workers at different marijuana dispensaries have been killed during robberies in recent weeks.

"It is no surprise that people are going to get killed, drugs and violence go together," Baca said. Despite his concerns about the way dispensaries operate, Baca has been a longtime advocate of medical marijuana use by AIDS patients and people with other chronic conditions.

The 1996 law approved by California voters allows collectives to grow medicinal marijuana, though they are not supposed to make profits and can only charge enough to cover operating expenses.

Baca said the intent of the law was good but had been corrupted almost beyond recognition with most "patients" producing spurious notes from doctors describing vague ailments that don't need to be treated with marijuana.

Thirteen other states have legalized medical marijuana, and many jurisdictions around the country have decriminalized marijuana to the point that low-level possession offenses aren't prosecuted.

At Marks & Brooklier, criminal lawyers Donald Marks and Anthony Brooklier have been representing clients on medical marijuana and other drug related matters since 1976. When faced with medical marijuana charges you need experienced Los Angeles medical marijuana criminal defense lawyers with experience in representing individuals for California marijuana drug crimes. If you have been charged with a medical marijuana drug crime, we recommend you contact us in order to begin to prepare your case for a successful defense.

Police officers seized $24 million worth of marijuana in Granada Hiils, California, in the San Fernando Valley. The grass was growing high at O'Melveny Park in Granada Hills this summer, but don't blame groundskeepers at the rugged city facility.

Authorities this week destroyed nearly 3,000 marijuana plants valued at $24 million that towered more than 10 feet high and thrived on a sophisticated irrigation system hidden off the main trail.

The plants were discovered in July but police spent months investigating the large operation, leading to the arrest of a West Hills man last week.

"It's the largest outdoor grow I've ever seen," said Detective Robert Holcomb, who has worked in LAPD's Narcotics Enforcement Detail in the San Fernando Valley for 20-plus years.

The plants were discovered just hundreds of yards off the trail and 1½ miles north of the parking lot. More arrests were expected, detectives said Wednesday.

"One person, I don't think, could have tended to all these plants," Holcomb said.

Natale Gabriele, 49, was the first person arrested in the case last Thursday after air surveillance photos were taken in April. He was charged with possession of marijuana for sale and released Friday after posting $100,000 bail.

"So what this guy did was he went about 1½ miles up, through the brush, up over a ridgeline, into another secluded part of the park," Holcomb said. "You'd never see it from the hiking trail or the biking trail. Never. You'd have to go through the brush."

The plants, which ranged from 2 feet to more than 10 feet high, were planted in a ½-acre area along the hillside and in a ravine and were interspersed among existing shrubbery, Holcomb said. Officers have since cleared out the site.

Gabriele, who investigators believe tended the plants, had created an elaborate watering system by damming up a stream that ran through the hillside in the city's second-largest park, Holcomb said. Gabriele allegedly rigged the system using irrigation tubing, a battery-powered pump and timer to water the plants.

The regular watering was what enabled investigators to find the site, which was no easy feat. Detectives enlisted the help of the California Air National Guard Condor Squadron, which uses a C-130 plane outfitted with high-tech imaging equipment, to find and photograph rural areas believed to be sites of illegal marijuana operations throughout state and federal parks.

"They look for symmetrically planted and different-colored plants," Holcomb said. "Because vibrant marijuana plants are a different color from the California chaparral that we normally get, it will maintain that color even in the dry season that we have now."

The pictures were verified to contain evidence of an illegal grow in April. Detectives hiked up to the site in July, discovered more than 100 plants, and set up surveillance of the area.

When investigators returned to destroy the plants after Gabriele's arrest, they discovered thousands more in various stages of growth, Holcomb said. Another illegal outdoor grow operation was found within park boundaries about a mile away in May 2007. Several have been discovered along La Tuna Canyon Road, in the foothills.

In 2009, the Drug Enforcement Agency destroyed nearly 10 million marijuana plants being cultivated outdoors across the country, up 31 percent from the 7.6 million eradicated in 2008. "It's not that common to discover them in the San Fernando Valley," Holcomb said. "It's not something you usually find in an urban area."

At Marks & Brooklier, we have been representing our clients on marijuana and other drug related matters since 1976. We are aware of all the issues and complexities that can arise from such charges and have successfully handled numerous cases for our clients. When faced with marijuana and drug charges you need experienced Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys with experience in representing individuals for drug crimes. Such charges could include offenses for drug possession, drug trafficking and other drug related charges. If you have been charged with a drug crime, we recommend you contact us in order to begin to prepare your case for a successful defense.