# Belleville man among 22 charged with huge marijuana growing scheme



## FruityBud (Dec 10, 2008)

Federal authorities charge that 22 people - including five from western Wayne and Washtenaw counties - ran a highly lucrative hydroponics marijuana growing operation in houses throughout southeast Michigan.

The indictment released Tuesday also seeks to forfeit the group's assets, estimated at $8.2 million.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement that the alleged kingpin of the organization was Brian Osburn, 33, of Belleville. Documents charge that Osburn conspired with others to begin growing more than 1,000 marijuana plants in 2002.

Federal authorities charge that 22 people - including five from western Wayne and Washtenaw counties - ran a highly lucrative hydroponics marijuana growing operation in houses throughout southeast Michigan.

The indictment released Tuesday also seeks to forfeit the group's assets, estimated at $8.2 million.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement that the alleged kingpin of the organization was Brian Osburn, 33, of Belleville. Documents charge that Osburn conspired with others to begin growing more than 1,000 marijuana plants in 2002.

The other area residents charged in the indictment include: Jason Eric Osburn, 34, of Belleville; Travor M. Osburn, 30, of Canton; Kathleen Leonita Osburn, 58, of Canton; and David Marcum, 31, of Ypsilanti. The other Osburns are Brian Osburn's two brothers and mother.

Over the course of several years, officials allege that the group grew "purps" marijuana - called that for the purple color of its buds and the tips of its leaves - at 24 different locations. Locally, several houses were allegedly used to grow marijuana, including a home on North Dixboro Road just outside Ann Arbor, a home on South Grove Road in Ypsilanti and four homes in Canton Township - on Belleville Road, Proctor Road and Roundtable Drive. They also are accused of using fields to grow marijuana in Rose Township and Southfield.

The indictment describes a sophisticated operation in which the basements were used to grow the marijuana with grow lights, fans, fertilizer and space to hang and dry the cultivated plants.

The 22 people indicted face various charges: 11 were indicted for money laundering, and six were indicted on mortgage fraud charges. The U.S. Attorney's Office said many of the homes used for the indoor growing operations were purchased with drug proceeds, and several were bought by obtaining fraudulent mortgages.

Agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration seized $25,000 in cash from the group on Nov. 16, according to the indictment. The government also is seeking to forfeit other assets and cash tied to the organization.

The case was investigated by the DEA and numerous other police agencies in Oakland and Wayne counties.

In a statement, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard called the organization "a huge, ongoing, sophisticated criminal enterprise, which was very lucrative for the indicted individuals."

*hxxp://tinyurl.com/5eo2t5*


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## nvthis (Dec 11, 2008)

Soooo,..... Do you think it was _lucrative_???:rofl: Aw yes! Nothin' like hammering your point home to millions of 'ignorant' sheeple.


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## Leafs.Rule.75 (Dec 11, 2008)

With crap laws like that in the U.S, makes me glad im a canuck hehe, are laws are alot more leanit against green charges...


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## noneedforalarm (Dec 11, 2008)

meanwhile 2 ppl were shot and killed in a gunfight somewhere else around there area,maybe 2 of the raiding officers could have gotten work in that part of town where the shooting took place and could have possibly stopped it.we will never know because they were to busy busting up some ppl making money over a natural plant.what a ******* shame.damn the ignorant war on drugs in america...it really is an outrage.btw the shooting i speak of is total fiction,but for all we know it could have happened haha.


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## fellafrompocatella (Dec 13, 2008)

Sounds like the show Weeds. Damn thats a good show.


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## VaNdLe (Dec 13, 2008)

noneedforalarm said:
			
		

> meanwhile 2 ppl were shot and killed in a gunfight somewhere else around there area,maybe 2 of the raiding officers could have gotten work in that part of town where the shooting took place and could have possibly stopped it.we will never know because they were to busy busting up some ppl making money over a natural plant.what a ******* shame.damn the ignorant war on drugs in america...it really is an outrage.btw the shooting i speak of is total fiction,but for all we know it could have happened haha.



I know exactly what u mean, Because it happens every weekend


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## ktownlegend (Dec 13, 2008)

just what the state of Michigan doesn't need with the new prop 1 that passed finally.


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## ishnish (Dec 13, 2008)

i thought i lost my mind for a second there in the begging...
as for the 'lucrative' operation..?   i think leo made half of it up just to look good. i've noticed they tend to do that at times.  i knew a guy that had a similar fate on a smaller scale and the 'official' reports were all exagerated.
anyway, if these people were launder'n thier money, that means they paid taxes on it.  so what of the drug money in uncle sams pocket?


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