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A medical marijuana dispensary director who is accused of marijuana cultivation and money laundering was granted release on $1 million bond by a federal magistrate in San Francisco Tuesday.
Sparky Rose, 36, director of the New Remedies Cooperative in San Francisco, is one of 15 people arrested in a sweep by federal agents on Oct. 3.
The agents also seized nearly 13,000 plants, a Porsche car belonging to Rose and $125,000 in raids of the dispensary, related offices in Oakland and San Francisco and two San Francisco warehouses where marijuana was allegedly cultivated.
All 15 defendants are charged in a federal criminal complaint with marijuana manufacture and distribution and Rose is additionally charged with money laundering.
U.S. Magistrate Nandor Vadas granted the bail release for Rose after prosecution and defense lawyers told him they had agreed on the $1 million amount.
The bond will be made up of $200,000 in equity from the Maryland house of Rose's mother and stepfather, plus individual surety bonds signed by Rose's ex-wife and two friends.
Defense attorney Nanci Clarence said it would take a day or two to complete the arrangements for the bond.
Clarence told the magistrate that prosecutors have informed her that an indictment in the case is expected to come from a federal grand jury in Los Angeles rather than San Francisco.
Through his attorney, Rose agreed to delay further proceedings until next month while the indictment is awaited. Vadas scheduled a status conference before a magistrate in San Francisco on Nov. 14.
Clarence said outside of court that Rose operated the medical marijuana dispensary "in a very businesslike way" and that Rose "exemplifies the notion of a responsible dispensary."
The cooperative was formerly known as Compassionate Caregivers Inc. and at one time operated dispensaries in Oakland, Los Angeles and several other cities.
Although a California law approved by voters in 1996, the Compassionate Use Act, allows seriously ill patients to use medical marijuana, federal drug laws make no exception for the state law.
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration regional chief Frederico Pena said after the Oct. 3 arrests that anyone who breaks the federal laws to run an allegedly lucrative drug trade "is not compassionate, they're criminal."
An affidavit filed in the case by a DEA agent alleges that cash deposits to a New Remedies Cooperative bank account in Hercules amounted to more than $2.3 million between December 2005 and July 2006.
The affidavit said the money was used to pay employees of the cooperative, including $331,000 paid directly to Rose during that period.
Newshawk: Spliff Twister - www.420Times.com
Source: cbs5 SF
Pubdate: October 17, 2006
Copyright: © MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc
Website: CBS San Francisco
Sparky Rose, 36, director of the New Remedies Cooperative in San Francisco, is one of 15 people arrested in a sweep by federal agents on Oct. 3.
The agents also seized nearly 13,000 plants, a Porsche car belonging to Rose and $125,000 in raids of the dispensary, related offices in Oakland and San Francisco and two San Francisco warehouses where marijuana was allegedly cultivated.
All 15 defendants are charged in a federal criminal complaint with marijuana manufacture and distribution and Rose is additionally charged with money laundering.
U.S. Magistrate Nandor Vadas granted the bail release for Rose after prosecution and defense lawyers told him they had agreed on the $1 million amount.
The bond will be made up of $200,000 in equity from the Maryland house of Rose's mother and stepfather, plus individual surety bonds signed by Rose's ex-wife and two friends.
Defense attorney Nanci Clarence said it would take a day or two to complete the arrangements for the bond.
Clarence told the magistrate that prosecutors have informed her that an indictment in the case is expected to come from a federal grand jury in Los Angeles rather than San Francisco.
Through his attorney, Rose agreed to delay further proceedings until next month while the indictment is awaited. Vadas scheduled a status conference before a magistrate in San Francisco on Nov. 14.
Clarence said outside of court that Rose operated the medical marijuana dispensary "in a very businesslike way" and that Rose "exemplifies the notion of a responsible dispensary."
The cooperative was formerly known as Compassionate Caregivers Inc. and at one time operated dispensaries in Oakland, Los Angeles and several other cities.
Although a California law approved by voters in 1996, the Compassionate Use Act, allows seriously ill patients to use medical marijuana, federal drug laws make no exception for the state law.
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration regional chief Frederico Pena said after the Oct. 3 arrests that anyone who breaks the federal laws to run an allegedly lucrative drug trade "is not compassionate, they're criminal."
An affidavit filed in the case by a DEA agent alleges that cash deposits to a New Remedies Cooperative bank account in Hercules amounted to more than $2.3 million between December 2005 and July 2006.
The affidavit said the money was used to pay employees of the cooperative, including $331,000 paid directly to Rose during that period.
Newshawk: Spliff Twister - www.420Times.com
Source: cbs5 SF
Pubdate: October 17, 2006
Copyright: © MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc
Website: CBS San Francisco
