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UPPER LAKE, Calif. – On Wednesday an Upper Lake man being prosecuted by the federal government for his alleged involvement in selling marijuana was taken into custody by federal agents.
Thomas Lee Carter, 59, was arrested by agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, according to Sheriff Rod Mitchell.
Mitchell, whose deputies also were on scene during the operation, said Carter was arrested on a federal warrant, but was not able to provide additional details.
Lake County News left several phone and e-mail messages for the DEA's San Francisco division spokesperson on Wednesday, but none of the messages were returned.
Sonoma County Jail officials confirmed late Wednesday that Carter was being held in their main detention center on a detainer until he is picked up for transport to a facility in San Francisco.
He was booked into the Sonoma County Jail at 2:49 p.m. on a no-bail hold, according to jail records.
Carter and several other people – including one of his own employees – were arrested by the DEA in August 2009 and have since been charged with a battery of felonies related to the alleged production and sale of illicit marijuana, as Lake County News has reported.
In addition to Carter, arrested last year were Scott Feil, 44, and his wife, Diana, 29, of Upper Lake and Redwood Valley; Steven Swanson, 60, of Sebastopol; and Brett Bassignani, 44, of Nice, who works for Carter.
Court documents show that the government is alleging that the defendants in the case were conspiring to sell marijuana in an operation that began with growing and some sales in Lake County, and stretched to medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles and San Diego. More than 100,000 pages of discovery have been submitted in the case.
The case filed by the US Attorney's Office alleges that Bassignani agreed to sell 500 marijuana clones to undercover DEA agents and an informant in May of 2006, and that he told investigators that part of his income with Carter's business came from marijuana sales.
Carter is facing a single count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, which carries a minimum 10-year sentence and $4 million fine, and two counts of distributing or possessing with intent to distribute marijuana, which carry a five-year minimum and a $2 million fine for each conviction, according to court documents.
Bassignani is charged with two counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of distributing or possessing with intent to distribute marijuana.
The charges against the men appear not to have changed as the result of a superseding indictment a federal grand jury handed down in the case on July 22.
Scott and Diana Feil and Steven Swanson, Diana Feil's stepfather, also are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, distributing or possessing with intent to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to launder money, engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specific unlawful activity.
The superseding indictment additionally accused Scott Feil of two counts of filing false tax returns, and Swanson of two counts of tax evasion.
The new indictment also added another defendant, Mark Leonard Garcia, in connection to a San Diego dispensary. Garcia is charged with two counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana.
The government is seeking forfeiture of millions of dollars in land, vehicles and other assets used or derived from proceeds of the alleged counts. That includes several hotels the Feils own around the North Coast and property belonging to Carter in Upper Lake.
Carter was released after posting $200,000 bail in August 2009, using his property at 1622 Hunter Point Road in Upper Lake to secure the bail, according to the conditions of his release.
The same document showed that he was subject to numerous conditions in order to remain out of jail, including not committing any federal, state or local crimes; not harassing, threatening or intimidating witnesses, victims or officers of the court; submitting to warrantless searches; and making all court appearances.
A criminal minute order from an Aug. 26 status conference in the case showed that motions are due in December, with the case continued to Jan. 27, 2011.
NewsHawk: MedicalNeed: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Lake County News | California
Author: Elizabeth Larson
Contact: Lake County News | California - Contact
Copyright: Lake County News 2006, 2007 lakeconews.com
Website:Lake County News | California - Upper Lake man under federal indictment arrested by DEA agents
Thomas Lee Carter, 59, was arrested by agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, according to Sheriff Rod Mitchell.
Mitchell, whose deputies also were on scene during the operation, said Carter was arrested on a federal warrant, but was not able to provide additional details.
Lake County News left several phone and e-mail messages for the DEA's San Francisco division spokesperson on Wednesday, but none of the messages were returned.
Sonoma County Jail officials confirmed late Wednesday that Carter was being held in their main detention center on a detainer until he is picked up for transport to a facility in San Francisco.
He was booked into the Sonoma County Jail at 2:49 p.m. on a no-bail hold, according to jail records.
Carter and several other people – including one of his own employees – were arrested by the DEA in August 2009 and have since been charged with a battery of felonies related to the alleged production and sale of illicit marijuana, as Lake County News has reported.
In addition to Carter, arrested last year were Scott Feil, 44, and his wife, Diana, 29, of Upper Lake and Redwood Valley; Steven Swanson, 60, of Sebastopol; and Brett Bassignani, 44, of Nice, who works for Carter.
Court documents show that the government is alleging that the defendants in the case were conspiring to sell marijuana in an operation that began with growing and some sales in Lake County, and stretched to medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles and San Diego. More than 100,000 pages of discovery have been submitted in the case.
The case filed by the US Attorney's Office alleges that Bassignani agreed to sell 500 marijuana clones to undercover DEA agents and an informant in May of 2006, and that he told investigators that part of his income with Carter's business came from marijuana sales.
Carter is facing a single count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, which carries a minimum 10-year sentence and $4 million fine, and two counts of distributing or possessing with intent to distribute marijuana, which carry a five-year minimum and a $2 million fine for each conviction, according to court documents.
Bassignani is charged with two counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of distributing or possessing with intent to distribute marijuana.
The charges against the men appear not to have changed as the result of a superseding indictment a federal grand jury handed down in the case on July 22.
Scott and Diana Feil and Steven Swanson, Diana Feil's stepfather, also are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, distributing or possessing with intent to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to launder money, engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specific unlawful activity.
The superseding indictment additionally accused Scott Feil of two counts of filing false tax returns, and Swanson of two counts of tax evasion.
The new indictment also added another defendant, Mark Leonard Garcia, in connection to a San Diego dispensary. Garcia is charged with two counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana.
The government is seeking forfeiture of millions of dollars in land, vehicles and other assets used or derived from proceeds of the alleged counts. That includes several hotels the Feils own around the North Coast and property belonging to Carter in Upper Lake.
Carter was released after posting $200,000 bail in August 2009, using his property at 1622 Hunter Point Road in Upper Lake to secure the bail, according to the conditions of his release.
The same document showed that he was subject to numerous conditions in order to remain out of jail, including not committing any federal, state or local crimes; not harassing, threatening or intimidating witnesses, victims or officers of the court; submitting to warrantless searches; and making all court appearances.
A criminal minute order from an Aug. 26 status conference in the case showed that motions are due in December, with the case continued to Jan. 27, 2011.
NewsHawk: MedicalNeed: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Lake County News | California
Author: Elizabeth Larson
Contact: Lake County News | California - Contact
Copyright: Lake County News 2006, 2007 lakeconews.com
Website:Lake County News | California - Upper Lake man under federal indictment arrested by DEA agents
