Carpet Muncher
07-27-2006, 04:12 AM
http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,KNS_347_4851479,00.html
Government says it plans to seize West's businesses.. and put them away for a long time.. ouch..
By JAMIE SATTERFIELD, satterfield@knews.com
July 18, 2006
A prominent Market Square entrepreneur has been peddling tons of marijuana over the past 11 years and laundering his ill-gotten gains through his businesses, federal court documents allege.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Guyton arraigned Scott West, 41, on Monday on a two-count federal indictment accusing West of conspiring with his brother and two unidentified suspects to push thousands upon thousands of pounds of marijuana. He also is accused of plotting with his wife, brother and sister-in-law to hide the proceeds.
Federal court records detail a single shipment seized by authorities in Texas early Sunday that involved nearly 1,000 pounds. It represented a typical amount ferreted to the West brothers from the Southwest, according to court records.
Court records also accuse West, brother James Michael West, 42, sister-in-law Joanne Baker West, 39, and wife Bernadette Trent West, 47, of laundering a minimum of $2.5 million in drug proceeds (sound low?) through various bank accounts and properties, including popular Market Square businesses owned by Scott West and his wife.
Those businesses, which authorities are now seeking to seize, include Preservation Pub, Oodles Uncorked restaurant and wine bar, World Grotto and Marketplace entertainment venue and Earth to Old City gift shop.
Scott West and his wife are considered among the largest property owners and business operators in downtown Knoxville. Federal authorities have filed notice that they intend to take it all - from 28 Market Square to 320 Wall Avenue - if they win convictions in the drug trafficking case.
Also on federal authorities' seizure list is property in Hawkins County, N.C. and in Hawaii deeded to James Michael West and his wife, as well as a slew of bank accounts in their names.
The brothers and their wives have been under probe for at least six months, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Michael Davis wrote in a criminal complaint.
On July 8, Davis wrote, he and other agents learned "that James Michael West was expecting a shipment of between 900 and 1,000 pounds of marijuana from his source of supply" and already "had in his possession several hundred pounds of marijuana from a prior shipment."
By then, the DEA and other law enforcement partners had identified Newport resident Frank Logan Asbury as a "regular purchaser of marijuana from James Michael West," Davis wrote.
With help from Assistant U.S. Attorney David Jennings, agents began preparing for a massive series of searches, documents show.
On Saturday night, DEA agents in Texas tracked alleged couriers Melvin Skinner and his son, Samuel Skinner, as they began making their way from a truck stop in northern Texas in a RV loaded with marijuana, Davis wrote.
Early Sunday, the Texas agents swooped in and snatched up the Skinners, seizing the 1,000 pounds of pot stashed in the RV that Davis alleged was ordered up by the West brothers.
"Upon learning that the Skinners had been arrested, I and other agents involved in this investigation immediately executed search warrants at various locations in the Eastern District of Tennessee and the Western District of North Carolina," Davis wrote.
Raided were Scott West's downtown apartment and Market Square businesses. Neither he nor his wife was in the state at the time. Agents also raided James Michael West's houses in Hawkins County, where they seized 400 pounds of pot and $40,000, and in Candler, N.C., where they took $150,000 in alleged drug money, Davis wrote.
Agents found 100 pounds of marijuana and $95,000 as a result of searches at Asbury's Newport home and a nearby storage facility, the complaint alleged.
Guyton ordered Asbury, 55, held without bond Monday after Jennings noted he has a prior felony drug conviction in Cocke County.
Jennings blacked out two names on the indictment returned against the Wests, a signal that those are fugitives still being sought by authorities.
Attorney Donald A. Bosch entered pleas of innocent on behalf of Scott West at Monday's hearing. Jennings agreed to allow Scott West to go free on bond, and West was released by early Monday evening.
"He and his wife are, as the court knows, business owners on Market Square," Jennings said, adding neither was likely to flee.
Bernadette West was out of the country when agents raided the Market Square businesses, and her husband was in Atlanta, Bosch has said. Scott West voluntarily surrendered Sunday.
Bernadette West is now aware of the indictment and is headed back to Knoxville to face it, Bosch said Monday.
"All the businesses are open and running as scheduled," Bosch said.
Jennings asked Guyton to order James Michael West held without bond, alleging he was both a "danger to the community" and likely to flee. Public Defender Jonathan Moffatt objected to the request. Guyton set a hearing for Thursday.
James Michael West will remain locked up until then. It's not clear where his wife is or whether she has been arrested.
Government says it plans to seize West's businesses.. and put them away for a long time.. ouch..
By JAMIE SATTERFIELD, satterfield@knews.com
July 18, 2006
A prominent Market Square entrepreneur has been peddling tons of marijuana over the past 11 years and laundering his ill-gotten gains through his businesses, federal court documents allege.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Guyton arraigned Scott West, 41, on Monday on a two-count federal indictment accusing West of conspiring with his brother and two unidentified suspects to push thousands upon thousands of pounds of marijuana. He also is accused of plotting with his wife, brother and sister-in-law to hide the proceeds.
Federal court records detail a single shipment seized by authorities in Texas early Sunday that involved nearly 1,000 pounds. It represented a typical amount ferreted to the West brothers from the Southwest, according to court records.
Court records also accuse West, brother James Michael West, 42, sister-in-law Joanne Baker West, 39, and wife Bernadette Trent West, 47, of laundering a minimum of $2.5 million in drug proceeds (sound low?) through various bank accounts and properties, including popular Market Square businesses owned by Scott West and his wife.
Those businesses, which authorities are now seeking to seize, include Preservation Pub, Oodles Uncorked restaurant and wine bar, World Grotto and Marketplace entertainment venue and Earth to Old City gift shop.
Scott West and his wife are considered among the largest property owners and business operators in downtown Knoxville. Federal authorities have filed notice that they intend to take it all - from 28 Market Square to 320 Wall Avenue - if they win convictions in the drug trafficking case.
Also on federal authorities' seizure list is property in Hawkins County, N.C. and in Hawaii deeded to James Michael West and his wife, as well as a slew of bank accounts in their names.
The brothers and their wives have been under probe for at least six months, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Michael Davis wrote in a criminal complaint.
On July 8, Davis wrote, he and other agents learned "that James Michael West was expecting a shipment of between 900 and 1,000 pounds of marijuana from his source of supply" and already "had in his possession several hundred pounds of marijuana from a prior shipment."
By then, the DEA and other law enforcement partners had identified Newport resident Frank Logan Asbury as a "regular purchaser of marijuana from James Michael West," Davis wrote.
With help from Assistant U.S. Attorney David Jennings, agents began preparing for a massive series of searches, documents show.
On Saturday night, DEA agents in Texas tracked alleged couriers Melvin Skinner and his son, Samuel Skinner, as they began making their way from a truck stop in northern Texas in a RV loaded with marijuana, Davis wrote.
Early Sunday, the Texas agents swooped in and snatched up the Skinners, seizing the 1,000 pounds of pot stashed in the RV that Davis alleged was ordered up by the West brothers.
"Upon learning that the Skinners had been arrested, I and other agents involved in this investigation immediately executed search warrants at various locations in the Eastern District of Tennessee and the Western District of North Carolina," Davis wrote.
Raided were Scott West's downtown apartment and Market Square businesses. Neither he nor his wife was in the state at the time. Agents also raided James Michael West's houses in Hawkins County, where they seized 400 pounds of pot and $40,000, and in Candler, N.C., where they took $150,000 in alleged drug money, Davis wrote.
Agents found 100 pounds of marijuana and $95,000 as a result of searches at Asbury's Newport home and a nearby storage facility, the complaint alleged.
Guyton ordered Asbury, 55, held without bond Monday after Jennings noted he has a prior felony drug conviction in Cocke County.
Jennings blacked out two names on the indictment returned against the Wests, a signal that those are fugitives still being sought by authorities.
Attorney Donald A. Bosch entered pleas of innocent on behalf of Scott West at Monday's hearing. Jennings agreed to allow Scott West to go free on bond, and West was released by early Monday evening.
"He and his wife are, as the court knows, business owners on Market Square," Jennings said, adding neither was likely to flee.
Bernadette West was out of the country when agents raided the Market Square businesses, and her husband was in Atlanta, Bosch has said. Scott West voluntarily surrendered Sunday.
Bernadette West is now aware of the indictment and is headed back to Knoxville to face it, Bosch said Monday.
"All the businesses are open and running as scheduled," Bosch said.
Jennings asked Guyton to order James Michael West held without bond, alleging he was both a "danger to the community" and likely to flee. Public Defender Jonathan Moffatt objected to the request. Guyton set a hearing for Thursday.
James Michael West will remain locked up until then. It's not clear where his wife is or whether she has been arrested.