Medical Cannabis Commerce = Jail Time ... in Ukiah, CA

[Stokes]

Article Last Updated: 05/22/2006 04:23:32 PM PDT

Marijuana case ends in prison
Ukiah Daily Journal Staff

The Daily Journal

Steven Lance Berry, 47, of Ukiah, former operator of the LANKASH Caregivers Clinic, was sentenced Friday to four years and four months in state prison. Berry pleaded guilty to charges of possession of marijuana for sale, Social Security disability fraud and evasive failure to file state income tax.

District Attorney Norman Vroman has said he will not prosecute people who grow and sell medical marijuana, but said this was a case of medical marijuana fraud.

In addition to the marijuana charges, the District Attorney's Office said Berry received $38,000 in Social Security disability benefits to which he was not entitled and made several large purchases in cash that show he had substantial funds that he did not report to the IRS. According to the DA's Office, Berry has not filed an income tax return since 1996.

Berry was arrested in early February of 2005, after Mendocino County sheriff's deputies raided his LANKASH Caregivers Clinic and seized 845 marijuana plants and records of the sale of marijuana.

At the time of the arrest, MCSO Sgt. Rusty Noe, commander of the County of Mendocino Marijuana Eradication Team, said officers from the Major Crimes Task Force had received information that Berry was selling and transporting marijuana out of the county.

Noe said undercover officers purchased $4,500 in cloned marijuana plants from Berry as well as two pounds of bud marijuana and made arrangements to return to purchase 100 pounds of bud marijuana at a later date.

At the time of his arrest, Berry said he was only selling marijuana for medicinal purposes and said he never sold any marijuana to police officers.

He said officers contacted him about purchasing 100 pounds of marijuana but that he never entered into an agreement to provide that amount.

Berry was taken to jail following his sentencing.

http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/local/ci_3853056
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