News
Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 3, 2006
Search
Warrants Served at San Francisco Marijuana Distribution Center
Law Enforcement Seizes Sophisticated Indoor Marijuana
Grows, Thousands of Marijuana Plants, High Value Vehicle, US Currency
and Bank Accounts
SAN FRANCISCO – Drug
Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) Special Agent in Charge
Javier F. Peña and United States Attorney Kevin V. Ryan, announced
today the service of eight federal search warrants in San Francisco
and Oakland, to include New Remedies Cooperative LLC, (formerly known
as Compassionate Caregivers) and Potent Employment Solutions. Agents
also arrested 15 individuals in connection with the investigation,
including alleged operator Sparky Rose, 36, of San Francisco. As a
result of today’s searches agents seized approximately 12,743
marijuana plants, computers, 2 vehicles, including a Porsche Carrera
convertible, and a total of $125,000 in U.S. Currency and three bank
accounts belonging to Rose, New Remedies Cooperative and Potent Employment
Solutions. The DEA San Francisco Office began this investigation in
early 2006.
“Federal drug
laws prohibit the cultivation and sale of marijuana. Anyone who breaks
these laws to run a lucrative drug trade, buy fancy cars, boost their
bank accounts, and exploit vulnerable citizens is not compassionate,
they’re criminal,” stated DEA Special Agent in Charge Javier
F. Peña. “Make no mistake – these defendants were
in the business of dealing drugs, and DEA is in the business of arresting
drug dealers and removing them from our communities, just as we did
today and will continue to do to uphold our responsibility to
the American people.”
“We will continue
in our commitment to uphold federal drug laws, including those that
involve the distribution of marijuana,” stated United States
Attorney Kevin V. Ryan. “I thank all of our law enforcement partners
for their collaboration in this investigation.”
The following individuals
were arrested today on probable cause for violations related to the
distribution of marijuana:
- Sparky Rose,
36, of San Francisco
- Ben Blair, 31,
of San Pablo
- James Daley,
56, of San Francisco
- Sean Anderson,
22, of San Francisco
- Kevin Ellis,
28, of Pinole
- Irene Matsuoka,
27, of Crockett
- Jason Matthewson,
29, of Pinole
- Alfaro Munoz-Bebullida,
33, of Richmond
- Steven Navarro,
35, of Richmond
- Johnny Seto,
32, of Alameda
- Mark Miller,
53, of Alameda
- Tracy Smith,
32, of Alameda
- Mistalee Chiame
Wang, 25, of San Leandro
- Amber Froiness,
26, of Berkeley
- Jaime Perreira,
26, of San Leandro
All defendants will
make their initial appearance in federal court on October 4, 2006.
Today’s enforcement
operation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal
Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Mendocino County Sheriff’s
Office and the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is being
prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District
of California, in San Francisco. The charges are only allegations and
the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a
reasonable doubt.
The mission
of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is to enforce the controlled
substances laws and regulations of the United States and bring to the
criminal and civil justice system of the United States, or any other
competent jurisdiction, those organizations and principal members of
organizations, involved in the growing, manufacture, or distribution
of controlled substances appearing in or destined for illicit traffic
in the United States; and to recommend and support non-enforcement
programs aimed at reducing the availability of illicit controlled substances
on the domestic and international markets. |