cannabisnews.com: Police Share Marijuana Farm Seizure Funds





Police Share Marijuana Farm Seizure Funds
Posted by FoM on September 30, 1999 at 11:39:02 PT
Carol MacPherson - Staff Writer
Source: Spokane Net
The marijuana grower had to pay for his crime with his house and farm, and on Wednesday Spokane and Stevens counties reaped the benefits of that cooperative drug bust.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Rice gave sheriffs from the two counties checks from the proceeds of the sale of a large property on Lake Roosevelt that was used to grow marijuana. The counties worked with the Drug Enforcement Administration on the case.At a press conference Wednesday, Stevens County Sheriff Craig Thayer was handed a check for $119,721.32. Spokane County Sheriff Mark Sterk accepted a check for $17,103.05 on behalf of the department and the Spokane Regional Drug Task Force. The money represents the agencies' level of assistance in the case.The money is a product of a federal equitable sharing program, where a criminal's profits and instruments of crime are forfeited to the United States. The feds then share the net proceeds from the sale of the property with the agencies that work with the DEA.In this case, the forfeited property was 42 acres overlooking Lake Roosevelt at 1662 Highway 25 South in Kettle Falls. The house belonged to Nelson R. and Carreen LaRoche.In October 1997, the agencies executed a search warrant at the home. The search uncovered a marijuana growing operation with 135 plants. The property also had a dirt airstrip, a residence under construction, a metal building consisting of a garage/airplane hangar and temporary living quarters.The underground growing operation was constructed with railroad ties and was under the airplane hangar.In July 1998, Nelson LaRoche plead guilty to a federal charge of manufacturing marijuana. He was sentenced in April of this year to 12 months in prison.An agreement was entered with Carreen LaRoche, paying for her innocent interest in the property, which was forfeited to the feds in December 1998. It was sold for $248,000 at a public bid. Eighty percent of the proceeds were shared with Spokane and Stevens counties. Twenty percent goes to the federal government.The agencies can use the money on crime programs, training, equipment, overtime pay, drug awareness programs and other approved purposes.Thayer said the case was an excellent example of cooperation at the federal, state and local level. September 30, 1999Forfeiture Endangers Americans Rights Foundation: http://www.fear.org/
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