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No federal charges will be filed against a Washington state couple who were found in St. Paul with more than 150 pounds of marijuana in the gas tank of their pickup.
The man and woman were arrested but have since been released. The case has been turned over to the St. Paul Police Department, which will present its findings to Ramsey County prosecutors.
On Saturday, the couple stopped at a Midas shop when their pickup wouldn't run. A mechanic discovered the pickup had a recently modified fuel tank. A state trooper was called and found the tank held 157 pounds of marijuana -- with an estimated street value of about $157,000.
But federal authorities declined to prosecute the couple. The reason is that the federal Drug Enforcement Administration does not bring marijuana cases to the U.S. Attorney's office unless the confiscated amount is more than 500 pounds.
"I think it is unusual," Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said, regarding a the lack of prosecution. "This is a significant quantity of marijuana that these people were caught with."
Fred Bruno, a defense attorney with experience defending drug cases in federal court, said he wasn't surprised by decision not to prosecute in federal court. He was not involved in the gas tank case.
"It's a big case by state standards but a small case by federal standards," Bruno said. "That amount would raise just about every eyebrow in the state judicial system, but maybe not many in the federal system."
Source: KARE 11
Copyright: 2007 Multimedia Holdings Corporation
Contact: 404 Not Found | kare11.com
Website: Minneapolis St. Paul news, Weather, Traffic, Sports | Minneapolis, MN | KARE11.com
The man and woman were arrested but have since been released. The case has been turned over to the St. Paul Police Department, which will present its findings to Ramsey County prosecutors.
On Saturday, the couple stopped at a Midas shop when their pickup wouldn't run. A mechanic discovered the pickup had a recently modified fuel tank. A state trooper was called and found the tank held 157 pounds of marijuana -- with an estimated street value of about $157,000.
But federal authorities declined to prosecute the couple. The reason is that the federal Drug Enforcement Administration does not bring marijuana cases to the U.S. Attorney's office unless the confiscated amount is more than 500 pounds.
"I think it is unusual," Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said, regarding a the lack of prosecution. "This is a significant quantity of marijuana that these people were caught with."
Fred Bruno, a defense attorney with experience defending drug cases in federal court, said he wasn't surprised by decision not to prosecute in federal court. He was not involved in the gas tank case.
"It's a big case by state standards but a small case by federal standards," Bruno said. "That amount would raise just about every eyebrow in the state judicial system, but maybe not many in the federal system."
Source: KARE 11
Copyright: 2007 Multimedia Holdings Corporation
Contact: 404 Not Found | kare11.com
Website: Minneapolis St. Paul news, Weather, Traffic, Sports | Minneapolis, MN | KARE11.com
