ATTN: U.S. Seed Buyers

[Tanuvan]

Seeds Lead To 19 Pot Plants

[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]Seeds Lead To 19 Pot Plants[/FONT]
[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]Online Purchase Tracked By Police[/FONT]

[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]Stan Maddux[/FONT]
[FONT=ARIAL, SANS SERIF]For The News-Dispatch[/FONT]

[FONT=GEORGIA, SERIF]LA PORTE - An online purchase of marijuana seeds from overseas caught the attention of federal authorities, leading to the discovery of an alleged growing operation in La Porte.

According to investigators, 19 plants were grown mostly to support the habit of David Bollinger, 57, and Sandra Manring, 49.

"They've been longtime users of marijuana," Indiana State Police Trooper Jason Sample alleged.

Sample, the lead investigator, said the seeds were ordered from Europe and delivered to Chicago's O'Hare Airport.

U.S. Customs and Immigration authorities detected something peculiar about the package and called Indiana authorities.

With the address from the package in hand, Sample responded to the home Monday night in the 1600 block of Stone Lake Drive.

He smelled an odor of fresh marijuana and was allowed to go in the basement where the plants, high-powered lights, fertilizer and other materials used in a hydroponic growing operation were discovered.

Due to their cooperation, the couple will be allowed to turn themselves in if a judge - after reviewing the evidence - orders them arrested, police said.

The couple allegedly told investigators they had been growing marijuana for at least four years, mostly for personal use.

Judging from their ledger books, though, Sample said some of the marijuana was sold.

At full maturity, all of the plants would have a street value of more than $10,000, police said.



So how safe is seed buying online?????
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[LoudBlunts]

1. why in the hell did they arrive at the airport?
2. he must have been ordering mass amounts of seed to notice a package that looks 'suspicious' i call bullshit
3. why in the fuck did he use his real name and address?


my point is proven all the time. growing weed doesnt get people busted, stupid people growing weed get themselves busted.

no wonder they think us potheads are so dumb.... we do stupid shit and dont cover tracks

 

[Tanuvan]

I'm not sure of all of the details, but I always see posts here stating that no one has ever heard of anyone getting busted for seeds. Well, now you have.

I suspect they arrived at the airport because that is where air mail arrives. If you ever get a chance to visit an airport, look around at the planes. You see UPS, Fed Ex, etc. Customs checks air mail.

Mail sent by freight gets checked by port authorities...etc.

 

[Tanuvan]

Also, it doesn't matter how many seeds are ordered. 1 seed is illegal. People get those confiscation letters without ordering tons of seeds.

It doesn't take much for customs to hand that information over to the local LEO.

 

[LoudBlunts]

you are not understanding what im saying.


do you know how much mail comes from overseas? there is no way in hell they just picked out a packaged and determined there was something peculiar about it.

cmon man...you know that smells of shit, bullshit more specifically!

 

[LoudBlunts]

i still stick to my original comment. buying seeds is not what got them busted.

its the stupidity that got them popped.

we are doing something highly illegal, highly! why would one be so lax/passive on the steps our hobby requires? you just cant take short cuts when your security is at risk.

i cant fathom why he used his real name &/or address. IMO, that is just asking for attention. 'AYE YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!! look at me, im ordering illegal contraband and not even being discreet about it!!!!!!! Just for a smack in your face'

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regardless, thanks for the post & the heads up!

 

[LoudBlunts]

cmon he been growing for 4 years?

and he just getting caught?

yup! he got comfy...i mean real comfortable, cocky and let down his guard!

no matter how long im in this hobby, i will NOT ever get comfortable! i will NOT be passive or let my guard down

 

[Tanuvan]

In posting this, it was not my intention to debate the how's and why's. Just to pass on the information.

It is up to the readers to decide if they feel it is important or not. I've read posts of people stating that they use their real name AND real address (Even the address where they are growing).

I felt that this may be an eye opener for those individuals. It may behoove some of those people to rethink their strategy.

 

[Tanuvan]

One other thing of note... if you read carefully, the seeds arrived in a completely DIFFERENT state. They arrived in Chicago, and customs called Indiana LEO.

 

[LoudBlunts]

......
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regardless, thanks for the post & the heads up!

which is why i thanked you..... i have no problem with your post. infact, we need to be on the news and watching their ass just like they watch us.


i just wanted to put my 2cents in. Especially b/c people will see post like this and get all scared. No nuts no glory bro. They want us to read shit like this so they can 'strike' fear in a our hearts. Fuck that. Overgrow the Government!!!

 

[LoudBlunts]

One other thing of note... if you read carefully, the seeds arrived in a completely DIFFERENT state. They arrived in Chicago, and customs called Indiana LEO.

nothing surprising......but cmon bro...honestly, would you order seeds to your residence? WHERE THE GROW HOUSE IS?

cmon..... lets factor in common sense here.

 

[Tanuvan]

Indeed. I hear ya. Don't be scared, be smart. Always pay attention to what the government is doing. Use google and stay up on what they are doing.

Most importantly when you find something...post the info. That is one of the reasons for these types of forums.

 

[LoudBlunts]

Indeed. I hear ya. Don't be scared, be smart. Always pay attention to what the government is doing. Use google and stay up on what they are doing.

Most importantly when you find something...post the info. That is one of the reasons for these types of forums.

rep!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tanuvan]

nothing surprising......but cmon bro...honestly, would you order seeds to your residence? WHERE THE GROW HOUSE IS?

cmon..... lets factor in common sense here.

I wouldn't, but a simple search will reveal the members here who do, or either no of someone who does.

 

[RCutshawl]

1. Never let the po-pos in your house unless they have a warrant. If the po-pos had enough cause for a judge to issue a warrant, they would have gotten one. When you allow the cops in your house without a warrant, you effectively waive your Fourth Amendment protection and any possible exclusion of evidence because of improper procedure. The cops could have found a basement full of plants, but a significant error in the warrant could make it all inadmissible.

2. When the cops want you to cooperate, they'll influence you by lying, cheating, threatening to put your wife in prison, or whatever else it takes in order to get that bust. The only ones who will make you a deal that you can trust is the prosecuting attorney -- he or she has the discretion of whether or not to charge.

3. Don't say a goddamned thing to the cops or to a prosecutor, magistrate, or judge until you have spoken with a lawyer. Keep enough money in savings so that you can afford a good one. If that's not possible, mortgage your house, place a lien on your car, and basically do whatever it takes to hire your own counsel and to not be dependent on public defenders (I know a few PDs -- they are overworked and underpaid and settle more cases than perhaps they should).

From the story, it appears as though the couple was not arrested, and, in fact, your Miranda protection does not begin until you are in custody (not necessarily charged). If the couple hadn't cooperated with the po-pos, they most likely would have had to wait outside with the cops until the cops got the warrant and would then have been arrested if they had not "come clean." They would have then had to post bond to go back home. However, they would be on much stronger footing because they would not have waived their Fourth and Fifth Amendment protections.

Every word of the conversation with the cops and every plant and piece of growing equipment is now admissible in court. This would not have been the case if the couple insisted on invoking their constitutional protections.

 

[Tanuvan]

OK let me say this because it seems that some people are missing the point. The point is NOT what happened when the Po Po arrived OR how to keep the PO PO out. It is the fact that...

THEY ARRIVED FROM SEIZED SEEDS BY CUSTOMS. OK. Not what happened and how to keep the po po out. CUSTOMS DID NOT JUST SEND A LETTER. They sent police to these peoples house.

That means that in some cases, they do not just send you a nice little letter. There are plenty of threads on how to keep the police out. Please don't start listing them here. This is not what this thread is about.

This thread is a WARNING to people buying seeds in their real name to their grow address.

Mind you, they had 19 plants growing at different stages. So chances are it was not a major grow op with them ordering hundreds of seeds.

 

[LoudBlunts]

well maybe they did order a huge amount of seeds..... what is to say that is what made them go there?????

 

[CALIGROWN]

Just use common sense or dont do it

 

[Tanuvan]

Hi Loud! It could have been an ass load of seeds, but it seems unlikely. Could have been though.

I was just saying to the other poster that most people here have heard a million times about not letting the authorities in without a warrant...and that it need not be re-hashed again.

The point, as simple and succinctly put is be smart.

I just want people to avoid the obvious mistakes. Don't get careless and think that Customs won't do something because they haven't in the past. You never know what overzealous customs newbie on the job might do if he happens to find a package with a few seeds in it.

If you do that part...you might not have to even worry about whether or not the po po have warrants.

 

[LoudBlunts]

Just use common sense or dont do it

preach it!!!!