HUNT breaks up drug operation
September 23, 2011
The Alpena News
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The Huron Undercover Narcotics Team uncovered a statewide criminal enterprise being operated out of Hillman Township.
Detective/Lt. Del Putnam, HUNT commander, said the operator, a 49-year-old man from Hillman, utilized two store fronts, one in Gaylord and one in Traverse City, both called Bay Medical Collective. He set up cooperative initiatives to distribute marijuana to hundreds of individuals across the state, which he had no legal authority to do. This resulted in raising significant amounts of cash that he said was his primary income and supported his lifestyle.
The state medical marijuana law allows one caregiver to provide marijuana for themself and five other patients in amounts of 2.5 ounces per person for a total of 15 ounces being the maximum amount of marijuana any one caregiver could possess. The law also allows for a caregiver to grow 12 plants for each patient so one caregiver could access and possess no more than 72 plants.
The investigation began when a package of marijuana was intercepted being mailed to Novi by the Hillman resident. There are no provisions that allow for this form of delivery of medical marijuana. The sender had no legal authority to supply that person marijuana in any manner, and the operator had been sending marijuana throughout the state in this manner to individuals he had no legal authority to supply marijuana to.
Through the investigation, it was discover the operator recruited people to be caregivers under him in a pyramid-type structure with him being at the top. He would then take their caregiver cards and distribute marijuana to those subjects. Several caregivers said they had never met any of their "patients" nor had ever supplied them with marijuana, which was solely done by the operator who paid them in either cash or in monthly supplies of marijuana. It also was discovered that the on-site doctor consulting at the store fronts were being conducted via Skype, an online computer-based meeting program.
Extensive indoor grow operations were discovered in Montmorency County and over 100 marijuana plants were seized. It is believed numerous other grow sites exist and efforts by HUNT to locate those continue.
The investigations lead to the execution of three search warrants. One at the primary residence of the operator and then search warrants at each of his store fronts.
Seized during this investigation:
- over 100 marijuana plants
- numerous Rice Crispy Treats laced with THC
- numerous Fruity Pebble Treats laced with THC
- numerous suckers laced with THC
- numerous bottles of THC drops
- numerous brownies laced with THC
- several thousand dollars in cash
- over one pound of processed marijuana ready for distribution
- numerous documents showing transactions of narcotics sales across the state
This investigation is ongoing. The operator and his associates could face criminal charges of operating a continuing criminal enterprise - a 20-year felony, felony conspiracy charges as well as numerous potential federal criminal charges.
The HUNT team was assisted by the SANE and TNT narcotic teams along with the Gaylord and Traverse City State Police posts, Gaylord Police Department, and the DEA.