Two Bozeman medical marijuana facilities burglarized in less than a week

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By JODI HAUSEN, Chronicle Staff Writer | 0 comments

A plywood board covered a broken window Thursday at Soul Tonix, a medical marijuana provider on West College Street.

The glass had been shattered by a burglar who broke into the store sometime between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning and stole "an undetermined amount of marijuana," the Bozeman Police Department said in a written statement Thursday.

It was the second burglary case involving a medical marijuana facility in Bozeman in less than a week, police said.

The first case involved a medical marijuana facility near West Koch Street and took place early Monday morning. Bozeman police Sgt. Steve Crawford saw a man walking on the 1800 block of West Koch at about 3 a.m., carrying a grow light, electric ballast and a stereo amplifier.

When Crawford stopped the man, the man ran, according to police.

After a brief foot chase, Crawford arrested 22-year-old Brenton Seymour.

"Sgt. Crawford's subsequent investigation revealed that Seymour had forced entry into a nearby residential medical marijuana facility and stole the items," the statement said.

Seymour was charged with burglary, obstructing a police officer, theft and criminal mischief.

The Soul Tonix break-in was reported Wednesday morning by someone from that store, located in the 2600 block of West College, who told police that "an unknown suspect(s) forced entry into their business and stole an undetermined amount of marijuana," according to police.

A store employee declined to comment on the burglary Thursday and the store's owner was unavailable.

However, the shop's lawyer, Chuck Watson, said burglaries of medical marijuana businesses are no different than break-ins to any legitimate business -- like a liquor or jewelry store.

"This is about opportunity," he said. "Some people have the impression that people can commit these sorts of crimes with immunity. They think police are going to under-investigate them. But police take the rights of these medical marijuana patients seriously and will protect them."

That appears to be the case.

"The Bozeman Police Department recognizes that legal medical marijuana facilities are legitimate businesses and we will conduct our criminal investigations with the same professionalism and thoroughness as we would with any other business or victim," the statement said.

Jodi Hausen can be reached at jhausen@dailychronicle.com or 582-2630. Read her blog at jhausen.wordpress.com or follow her on Twitter @bozemancrime.




Information from: The Bozeman Daily Chronicle: Serving Southwest Montana Since 1911
NewsHawk: Barto
Source: Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Bozeman Montana
Date published: July 16, 2010
Author: By JODI HAUSEN, Chronicle Staff Writer
Website / Link : The Bozeman Daily Chronicle: News - Two Bozeman medical marijuana facilities burglarized in less than a week
 
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