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The first deal in March was one pound of "mid-grade" marijuana for about $1,300.
The next month, after several other sales, the dealer sold a cooler full of marijuana to the owner of the Green Leaf Smokers Club for about $5,000, according to testimony Thursday at a preliminary hearing in 55th District Court.
Soon after, that dealer began working with federal and local authorities - and arranged the sale of 121 pounds to its owner, Fredrick Wayne Dagit.
Judge Donald Allen on Thursday ruled there was enough evidence for Dagit to stand trial on four felony drug counts.
The 60-year-old, who also is known as the Rev. Wayne Dagit, faces up to seven years in prison.
Dagit's attorney, James White, said after the hearing that his client was deliberately targeted by an overzealous law enforcement team, who spent seven days surveilling the Williamstown Township medical marijuana club before arresting Dagit on May 26.
"There hasn't been a shred of evidence that Mr. Dagit did anything other than provide the resource of marijuana for the caregivers and patients that were at his facility," White said.
'It was their pot'
He noted that it was the dealer, acting as a confidential informant, who brought up the idea of storing more than 150 pounds of marijuana in Dagit's Okemos home. White said he intends to argue that it was entrapment.
"But for the actions of government, Mr. Dagit never would have stored those 150 pounds in his home," White said. "It was their pot."
Dagit, who White said has a medical marijuana patient card, faces the following felony charges: Two counts of possession with intent to deliver between 11 and 99 pounds of marijuana; growing 20 or more marijuana plants; and maintaining a drug house. He also is charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana.
Testimony on Thursday centered on the May 26 sale of marijuana to Dagit.
The deal was arranged several days before, when the confidential informant - as instructed by police - called Dagit and said he was receiving a shipment from Mexico of 600 pounds of marijuana.
"I got a home for 400," the informant tells Dagit, according to recordings of those conversations played in court Thursday. "(I) wanted to see how much you're comfortable with taking."
Dagit agreed to let him store about 200 pounds of that in a basement closet. Dagit intended to buy 50 pounds of that, according to the recordings. "I'm ready to rock," Dagit said.
According to testimony, police provided marijuana to the informant who then delivered it to the club and Dagit's home.
Free on bond
Police raided both and found the marijuana. They also seized 41 marijuana plants from Dagit's basement. They did not seize more than 130 marijuana plants that were at the club, which apparently belonged to patients or their caregivers.
Dagit, who has been free on bond since Aug. 2, will soon move into an apartment, White said.
Dagit said Thursday he expected to be reunited today with his 15-year-old son, who has been in state custody.
Dagit was initially held in jail on a $500,000 bond for more than two months. At a July 29 hearing, prosecutors amended the charges and reduced the maximum sentence Dagit faces to seven years from 15. Judge Allen then agreed to release Dagit on an electronic tether.
NewsHawk: MedicalNeed:420 MAGAZINE
Source: Lansing State Journal
Author: Kevin Grasha • kgrasha@lsj.com
Contact: lansingstatejournal.com | Lansing Contact Us | Lansing State Journal
Copyright: 2009 Lansingstatejournal
Website:Marijuana club owner faces trial on felony drug charges | lansingstatejournal.com | Lansing State Journal
The next month, after several other sales, the dealer sold a cooler full of marijuana to the owner of the Green Leaf Smokers Club for about $5,000, according to testimony Thursday at a preliminary hearing in 55th District Court.
Soon after, that dealer began working with federal and local authorities - and arranged the sale of 121 pounds to its owner, Fredrick Wayne Dagit.
Judge Donald Allen on Thursday ruled there was enough evidence for Dagit to stand trial on four felony drug counts.
The 60-year-old, who also is known as the Rev. Wayne Dagit, faces up to seven years in prison.
Dagit's attorney, James White, said after the hearing that his client was deliberately targeted by an overzealous law enforcement team, who spent seven days surveilling the Williamstown Township medical marijuana club before arresting Dagit on May 26.
"There hasn't been a shred of evidence that Mr. Dagit did anything other than provide the resource of marijuana for the caregivers and patients that were at his facility," White said.
'It was their pot'
He noted that it was the dealer, acting as a confidential informant, who brought up the idea of storing more than 150 pounds of marijuana in Dagit's Okemos home. White said he intends to argue that it was entrapment.
"But for the actions of government, Mr. Dagit never would have stored those 150 pounds in his home," White said. "It was their pot."
Dagit, who White said has a medical marijuana patient card, faces the following felony charges: Two counts of possession with intent to deliver between 11 and 99 pounds of marijuana; growing 20 or more marijuana plants; and maintaining a drug house. He also is charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana.
Testimony on Thursday centered on the May 26 sale of marijuana to Dagit.
The deal was arranged several days before, when the confidential informant - as instructed by police - called Dagit and said he was receiving a shipment from Mexico of 600 pounds of marijuana.
"I got a home for 400," the informant tells Dagit, according to recordings of those conversations played in court Thursday. "(I) wanted to see how much you're comfortable with taking."
Dagit agreed to let him store about 200 pounds of that in a basement closet. Dagit intended to buy 50 pounds of that, according to the recordings. "I'm ready to rock," Dagit said.
According to testimony, police provided marijuana to the informant who then delivered it to the club and Dagit's home.
Free on bond
Police raided both and found the marijuana. They also seized 41 marijuana plants from Dagit's basement. They did not seize more than 130 marijuana plants that were at the club, which apparently belonged to patients or their caregivers.
Dagit, who has been free on bond since Aug. 2, will soon move into an apartment, White said.
Dagit said Thursday he expected to be reunited today with his 15-year-old son, who has been in state custody.
Dagit was initially held in jail on a $500,000 bond for more than two months. At a July 29 hearing, prosecutors amended the charges and reduced the maximum sentence Dagit faces to seven years from 15. Judge Allen then agreed to release Dagit on an electronic tether.
NewsHawk: MedicalNeed:420 MAGAZINE
Source: Lansing State Journal
Author: Kevin Grasha • kgrasha@lsj.com
Contact: lansingstatejournal.com | Lansing Contact Us | Lansing State Journal
Copyright: 2009 Lansingstatejournal
Website:Marijuana club owner faces trial on felony drug charges | lansingstatejournal.com | Lansing State Journal
