RADE raid nets some 200 pounds of marijuana
From our weekly issue dated November 11, 2009
A recent traffic stop by Oregon State Police troopers in S.W. Oregon started a chain of events following the discovery of 1 pound of marijuana — and grew into an investigation by the Rogue Area Drug Enforcement (RADE) team leading to the seizure of more than 200 pounds of marijuana in Josephine County.
Two of the three people involved are confirmed registered growers under the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program. They were charged in relation to the continuing investigation.
The investigation started with a traffic stop on Oct. 29 at approximately 5:48 a.m. when an OSP trooper stopped a 2000 Honda Civic with Nevada license plates southbound on Interstate 5 near milepost 12 for a traffic violation. During the stop the trooper contacted a male driver, 46, and female passenger, 49, both from Las Vegas.
A subsequent investigation, with the assistance of an OSP drug detection dog, led to the search of the vehicle and the discovery of approximately 1 pound of marijuana. The people admitted that they purchased the marijuana from a location they believed to be used to grow medicinal marijuana.
The marijuana was purchased with cash and labor they exchanged for pruning additional marijuana plants. Charges are pending against the two Nevada residents.
The RADE team was contacted for assistance and later that date identified the grow site location on Wilderville Lane in Grants Pass. A search warrant was served at that location where detectives found evidence reflecting a large-scale marijuana growing operation capable of producing hundreds of pounds of marijuana.
Some 200 pounds of marijuana were seized.
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Contacted at the residence and charged with controlled substance offenses were Brenda Thomas, 43; Susan Bryant, 48; and Thomas Bletko, 50. Two of the three were confirmed as registered growers under the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program, and admitted they were growing for 13 “patients,” OSP said.
The legal amount of usable marijuana that can be possessed for 13 patients would total 19.5 pounds. The additional 180 pounds of marijuana — conservative estimated at $2,500 per pound — would be valued at $450,000, OSP noted.
RADE is an interagency narcotics team comprised of personnel from the Grants Pass Dept. of Public Safety (GPDPS), OSP, Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, Josephine County District Attorney’s Office, and Josephine County Community Corrections. Also assisting in this investigation were detectives from GPDPS and troopers from OSP’s Drug Detection Canine program.
Anyone with information regarding suspicious drug activity or marijuana growing operations in Josephine County is encouraged to phone the RADE tip line at (541) 955-6970.
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