By Steve Elliott of Toke of the Town
Twelve criminal search warrants for marijuana were executed on Wednesday, November 16, at premises in Kalispell, Missoula, Somers, and Whitefish, according to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana.
The execution of the warrants comes after a year-long investigation into “drug trafficking” activities of a “criminal enterprise” operating in Montana, claims a press release from office of U.S. Attorney Michael W. Cotter.
Four civil seizure warrants for financial institutions in Missoula, seeking an unspecified amount of cash, were also executed, reports KRTV.
“The warrants were issued based on judicial findings that probable cause exists to believe that the premises located in the communities are involved in criminal enterprises that have violated the Controlled Substances Act related to marijuana, which is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance,” the press release claims in a thick Government-ese accent.
The warrants allege that the premises or property identified were involved in some or all of the following violations of federal law:
– manufacture of marijuana and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and distribution of marijuana in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841
– conspiracy to commit the offenses of manufacture of marijuana
– possession with intent to distribute marijuana and distribution of marijuana in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846
– structuring or assisting in structuring any transaction to evade currency reporting requirements or causing or attempting to cause a domestic financial institution to fail to file Currency Transaction Reports in violation of 31 U.S.C. §§ 5324(a)(1) and (3)
The press release, while never mentioning medical marijuana by name, noted that people who are in “clear and unambiguous compliance with state law” were not the focus of the investigation.
Article From Toke of the Town and republished with special permission.
