Richard James Marino ran Capitol Compassionate Care, a storefront medical marijuana dispensary in Roseville, California, that served about 1,000 registered patients and held a city dispensing licence.[1] The shop had opened in January 2004, and federal agents had publicly warned that its openly growing owner was in harm’s way.[2][1]
On 3 September 2004, Drug Enforcement Administration agents executed search warrants at the dispensary and at Marino’s home in nearby Newcastle.[2][1] A shift manager said agents entered at 9:30 a.m. with guns drawn and ordered everyone to the ground.[2] No arrests were made.[2] The later federal accounting says agents seized 617 live plants, 364 at the shop and 253 at the residence, plus about 18,805 grams of processed marijuana, about 3,022 grams of hashish and $105,000 in cash.[3][4] Marino said by phone that he thought he was doing everything above board.[2]
In January 2006 a federal grand jury returned a 19-count indictment charging Marino with marijuana trafficking and money laundering, alleging a conspiracy to distribute at least 100 kilograms from January to September 2004 and about $2,750,849 in proceeds.[5] On 6 May 2008 he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana and money laundering.[3] Prosecutors said the shop’s records showed $2,275,849 in gross sales between February and August 2004, about 482 pounds of marijuana sold under strain names such as AK-47 and Trainwreck, and more than $150,000 of shop money spent on Marino’s rent, house, housekeeper and credit cards.[3]
On 22 July 2008, United States District Judge Lawrence K. Karlton sentenced Marino, 54, to 51 months in prison, a $2,500 fine and 48 months of supervised release.[4] He was remanded into custody immediately.[4] In related civil cases he forfeited more than $201,000, including the sale proceeds of the Newcastle house used to grow marijuana.[4]
