Sohail Hasnani, sits to the right of defense attorney Bob Schroeter, while Zeshawn H. Hasnani, far right, waits in the jury box in Lewis County Superior Court.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Centralia police found an indoor marijuana farm on Seminary Hill yesterday.
A pair of brothers who have rented a home there for the past seven months and were arrested and charged with numerous offenses say they were supplying product to medical marijuana dispensaries around the state, according to authorities.
When the men, ages 24 and 27, appeared in Lewis County Superior Court today, defense attorney Bob Schroeter noted they work in graphic design, have been to college, and called the material in question medical marijuana.
Schroeter pointed out the state has been forced to rewrite the rules regarding the distribution of marijuana.
“We’re in a gray area now,” Schroeter told the judge.
Deputy Prosecutor Shane O’Rourke said no, it was basically a for-profit marijuana operation.
Charging papers say they had four medical marijuana authorizations on the premises, but Centralia Police Department Sgt. Jim Shannon said even if it were a so-called collective garden – which allows a maximum of 45 plants – police counted 90 plants when they searched the property.
“These guys are far outside anything allowed under (Initiative) 502 or medical marijuana,” Shannon said.
Zeshawn H. Hasnani, 27, and Sohail Hasnani, 24, were ordered held on $250,000 bail.
While Initiative 502 passed by Washington voters in November has somewhat decriminalized recreational use of marijuana, no licenses have yet been issued to growers, distributors or retailers.
And local governments have kept at bay any legitimate cultivation of medical cannabis in the county via collective gardens through moratoriums and other means.
For the Centralia Police Department, it’s business as usual as far as the same old laws on the books regarding growing or distributing the weed.
According to charging papers filed today: Sgt. Shannon got a tip in early December about the home on the 2500 block of Seminary Hill Road, just east of Centralia.
He discovered a drastic spike in electricity consumption that began when the bill was put in Sohail Hasnani’s name in August. The mailing address for the bill was Boynton Beach, Florida.
Centralia police conducted night time surveillance from a neighbor’s property and not only detected the odor of marijuana coming from the Hasnani’s property, they noted security cameras in multiple locations.
Yesterday, at 1 p.m., a dozen Centralia police officers served a search warrant at the home.
After using the P.A. system for about 10 minutes, they went to the door and ordered the brothers to come out.
“They complied,” Shannon said.
They brought out their two Pit Bulls, according to charging documents.
Shannon said in one outbuilding police found one room for small plants, one room for medium plants and one room for large plants.
Plus another room for drying, he said, where there was a loaded shotgun, according to charging documents.
“There was marijuana littered all throughout the house,” Deputy Prosecutor O’Rourke wrote.
Shannon said police found about three pounds of marijuana in the home; O’Rourke wrote about 12 mason jars full.
Police seized $4,000 cash, a .22 rifle, a pistol and located numerous new, unused electronic items with tags still attached, according to O’Rourke.
The Hasnani brothers were charged today with manufacture, possession with intent to deliver, possession and maintaining a premises for using controlled substances. Special allegations of being near a school bus stop and committing the crimes while armed with a firearm are included.
And they are charged with money laundering.
According to charging documents, the brothers said they have a T-shirt business called Independent Distributors, which O’Rourke alleges is nothing more than a mailbox in Florida.
Their 2011 tax returns shows it generated more than $133,000 in revenue.
They also have another business called “Smoketronics”, according to O’Rourke.
Police also found in the home receipts for packages that have been delivered through Fed-Ex to various other states, according to charging papers.
Shannon said police have been investigating their bank accounts and financial documents. So far, they found more than $40,000 in one account, according to charging documents.
O’Rourke writes the brothers traveled around in the Jeep, with the pistol, to sell their marijuana to dispensaries.
“In the past month, the duo admitted to collecting around $6,000 in cash from these dispensaries,” O’Rourke writes.
Defense attorney Schroeter this afternoon asked Judge James Lawler to release them on $10,000 unsecured signature bonds.
O’Rourke argued for, and got, bail set at $250,000.
“These types of underground black market operations draw violent crime,” O’Rourke said.
The brothers both were found to be indigent and qualified for court appointed attorneys.
They will appear again in court on Jan. 17 for their arraignments.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
FREE TURTLE!!!!! KABOOM!!!!
I am not sure if this discussion is about the legality of property confisction of the danger of drugs. On the first point, the Supreme Court has upheld the property confiscation law. If a person is found innocent of a crime they are able to retrieve their property. It has been challenged and upheld. We may have personal disagreements with the law, however it has been upheld.
On the other issue re: risk of marijuana, that could go on forever unless of course one disregards personal opinion and only relies upon factual scientific research.
“Just because it’s “natural” does not mean it’s harmless. Hemlock, Heroin, Anthrax and other very toxic substances all occur “naturally”yet kill thousands every year.”
Hemlock in poisonous in its NATURAL STATE. Cannabis is non-toxic and harmless in its natural state. How did you come up with such a comparison? The two plants are not even in the same taxonomic category!!!
Heroin?? Heroin was invented by BAYER corporation from poppy plants! Cannabis is NOT an invention.
And ANTHRAX?? Are you serious? Tell me one plant that produces anthrax naturally.
You should take some courses in botany and taxonomy.
I love the band ANTHRAX!!!!
“Hemlock, Heroin, Anthrax and other very toxic substances all occur “naturally”yet kill thousands every year. ”
Hemlock is poisonous in its NATURAL STATE and cannabis is not. How did you come up with the conclusion that cannabis and hemlock were comparable? They’re not even in the same botanical classification group!
And Heroin was INVENTED BY BAYER corporation from poppy seed juice! Cannabis is NOT AN INVENTION!!!!
And ANTHRAX?? Are you fucking serious?
Furthermore and FYI, the cannabinoids in THC need to be heated up to become psychoactive.
I repeat, cannabis has never killed anybody EVER and is a NON-TOXIC harmless HERB.
THC is another matter and can be found in pharmaceuticals prescribed legally in the United States and in other countries.
Those cases cannot be PROVEN SCIENTIFICALLY to be caused by cannabis consumption.
There is no PROOF that cannabis has killed anybody.
All you’re doing is citing cases where PEOPLE killed PEOPLE. There could be literally ONE MILLION reasons why, and cannabis is NOT one of them.
You’re confusing cannabis THE PLANT, with THC the DRUG.
Drive thru, but thanks for looking.
Down With the Corrupt CPD:
To answer that question:
In 2002, somewhere around 160 Marijuana deaths in the US, with Marijuana DUI deaths sharply on the rise, (http://www.drugwatch.org/CEDARS/MarDeaths2002e.pdf) not including such famous incidents as the 1987 Maryland train collision which killed 14 people on that Amtrak run (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1987_Maryland_train_collision) and other industrial or transportation related incidents. Let’s also not forget the problem with Marijuana induced schizophrenia, especially in younger males. It’s far from “non toxic”. (http://psychcentral.com/lib/2012/cannabis-may-cause-schizophrenia-like-brain-changes/)
It’s a drug all right. Just because it’s “natural” does not mean it’s harmless. Hemlock, Heroin, Anthrax and other very toxic substances all occur “naturally”yet kill thousands every year.
You’d be surprised what you can find out about drugs if you read non pro drug articles that reference documented studies, rather than just parrot talking points from the local drug community.
O’Rourke writes the brothers traveled around in the Jeep, with the pistol, to sell their marijuana to dispensaries.
And corrupt Police Officers threaten people in the Centralia Police Department’s Interrogation Room while wearing pistols. But some how when you pin a badge on a man and call them a police officer it’s Ok, just as long as Leprechauns jump down from the ceiling detective Shannon likes to say,.
I agree with you except that cannabis is NOT a drug.
Cannabis is a NON-TOXIC herb and has never killed anyone ever.
Alcohol and tobacco ARE drugs and they kill over 30,000 people in the U.S. each year.
The only thing dangerous about cannabis is the government’s reaction to it.
Lots to comment on…
1. Marijuana is a drug. I wonder if we should start referring to “Medical Opiates” or “Medical Alcohol” or “Medical Uppers”… just because something is prescribed does not make is safe. These guys were selling drugs for profit.
2. It is a danged slippery slope to allow authorities (of any kind) to seize valuable property based on “drug activity” or drug dealing… it is all well and good when the agency/entity is well-funded, but it takes on a new light when times are tough, money is scarce and we can suddenly view a situation as being dangerous or evil in order to obtain a bunch of new funding. Did you know that in Montana, the state police were allowed to collect a $5.00 fine from motorists for speeding too fast for conditions (at the time, there was not speed limit other than as conditions allow). Imagine how easy it would be for an officer to “forgive” say, negligent driving, for a bit more money. I think our laws regarding confiscating drug profits is along the same lines. If they really want it to be a deterrent and keep the law enforcement agency clean – keep the ability to confiscate property, but require that it be auctioned off for charity. 😉
3. These guys should not be able to get a free lawyer… what is up with that? I agree – if they have funds here or in Florida, they should buy their own attorney.
Sometimes these comment sections remind me of somebody with multiple personalities; it’s difficult to figure out who’s mind this stuff is falling out of.
I think the flouride has spread into county wells near Salzer Road.
“Also, they seem to be able to seize whatever property they feel like by just saying that it was acquired through drug profits when they have no evidence of that whatsoever.”
What’s interesting is that the corrupt cops only “confiscate” property with RESALE VALUE as “evidence”. They never actually take REAL evidence like fingerprints, DNA, or fibers. They just walk in, take whatever is of value, and then leave.
It’s nothing more than a smash and grab robbery under the guise of legality.
SHAME ON THE CPD!!!
“One thing that is obvious is that marijuana will never be free.”
The only thing that obviously won’t be free is your mind.
This case sounds like they were abusing their MMJ to make a bunch of money. This isn’t the prosecutor or the cops picking on legit MMJ users. Legalizing marijuana was the voters choice. One thing that is obvious is that marijuana will never be free.
There are two guys from Tacoma in the Lewis County Jail right now after responding to a craigslist ad for reefer and coming to Centralia only to rob the seller at gun point. The seller in turn bailed out of the car and shot at the getaway car as it was fleeing. If his aim would have been off inncocent people could have been shot. This case is what is in the minds of all right now when folks are caught abusing their MMJ by selling it on craigslist.
The corrupt county DA has already stated point blank that he doesn’t give a f(%K what the voters want, and he will do whatever he feels is in HIS best interests.
Hey, if the cops want to live like Scarface dope dealers, then that is thier wont. But, why can’t they just work for their money instead of stealing it?
Shame on the CPD.
“These types of underground black market operations draw violent crime,” O’Rourke said..
What Violent crime did they commit? Oh yeah that’s right Congress has a less than 10% approval rating and the Voters legalized Marijuana and Government Officials want to call Indoor Gardeners Violent Criminals. Really? The statement above is Bull Shit. There have been more Crimes against legal busineses in the city of Centralia VS. Home Invasions of Medical Marijuana Grow Labs. In fact, since Liquor has been allowed in the grocerey stores, the shop lifting of liquor has sky rocketed. Now Drunks are violent criminals, not Pot Smokers. The Media is so in the Gutter, when it comes to the Harmless Plant that God provided Man Kind. George Washinton Loved his Cannabis and so do Centralian’s
I agree that it is not right how the police/state is allowed to seize property at the scene well before the defendant gets their day in court.
Also, they seem to be able to seize whatever property they feel like by just saying that it was acquired through drug profits when they have no evidence of that whatsoever. Basically anything that they want or would like to deprive you of they are allowed to do so.
Also, as TWCEE says, it’s hard to get PROPER legal council when all of your assets are seized and you have no way of paying for it. Quite the racket.
How am I jumping in a boat? I have made no comment here. But I guess you know it all.
Sounds.like DCE is jumping in Harold and Kumars boat
“There by SAVING tax payer dollars that may have otherwise been used for the same thing.”
Stealing money from a defendent before they can prove themselves innocent does NOT save tax dollars. It’s a HUGE WASTE of tax dollars.
Leave it to the supporters of the corrupt kangaroo courts to twist things!!!
“There you will find how law enforcement has the legal right to seize any and all assets directly linked to drug sales/ manufactoring and so on.”
You are misunderstanding the law. The law specifically states that a person is INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY.
The cops stole thier money before evidence of guilt.
The cops are thieves in this case and your assertion that these guys are “gypsies from florida” is racist. And i’m sure if these two poor brothers DID have any more money, the CPD would find a way to steal that too.
CPD is just finding new ways to abuse the taxpayer to make themselves a few dirty dollars.
When the cops seize money, which has been earned illegally, they get to use that money only to further enforce drug laws. There by SAVING tax payer dollars that may have otherwise been used for the same thing.
And id really like to know of a case where local cops didnt pay attention to an abused child. Your accusation is ridiculous.
These guys are straight up Gypsies. Theyre from Florida and can afford their own attorney but choose to purg themselves in front of the judge and lie about their financial situation. THEY are the ones screwing the system, not the cops.
And in response to TWCEE, take a look at the laws listed under RCW 69.50.505. Its not too far from RCW 69.51 that protects MMJ. There you will find how law enforcement has the legal right to seize any and all assets directly linked to drug sales/ manufactoring and so on. Knowledge is power Rev Run……
this shit only happens in lewis county there is children being abused and raped that cant get the response drug dealers get from our local cpd come on when will they accept mmj
“$40,000 in the bank, and they cannot afford a lawyer? Have to love our justice system at work.”
It’s hard to pay for attorney fees if the cops steal all your money! Great job CPD. Way to pass the costs onto the INNOCENT TAXPAYER.
F’n slobs.
“The brothers both were found to be indigent and qualified for court appointed attorneys.”
$40,000 in the bank, and they cannot afford a lawyer? Have to love our justice system at work.
“These types of underground black market operations draw violent crime,” O’Rourke said.
That statement says it all, but you got em! We wont be having that in our town will we guys! My son and family live right there. It’s scary that that was happening so close to them. Man, they were a big accident just waiting for a place to happen. So scary!I want to say thank you for doing such great, competent police work and making my familys neighborhood safe from them. And thank you for restoring some of the faith I had lost in our law enforcement. Im glad you did! It feels good to be able to say thank you to you! So I think Ill say it again, thank you.
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I respect medicinal marijuana but these guys are ruining it for the rest of the legit guys. Grow your smoke and medicate. These guys are making a ton of money selling to whoever wants reefer and not following the guidlines.
Strong work by Sgt Shannon and CPD. Come on vacation and leave on probation. The only thing these boys didn’t do was go to White Castle.