OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The Oklahoma Attorney General’s workplace will take over the prosecution of a Canadian County attorney accused of serving to prison organizations get hold of marijuana grows in the state.
“He was in a position of authority and power and influence. And those are the people that we need to make an example of perfect,” stated Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond.
AG Drummond introduced Thursday that he’s taking on prosecution in the case of Canadian County Attorney Matt Stacy. The 43-year-old was indicted final yr by a multi-county grand jury and charged with 13 counts in Garvin County.
Court paperwork stated he helped worldwide prison organizations provide the black market with marijuana by illegally getting them into the medical marijuana enterprise in Oklahoma.
“His impact on the state of Oklahoma is remarkable. He’s basically been the consigliere to almost 400 illegal row operations, which covers multiple counties,” stated AG Drummond. “He needs the full force of the law against him, and his participation is not just been the enabling, but he is actually culpable of the crimes that were committed by his clients.”
Court paperwork present Stacy did this by paying Oklahomans to signal on as a “ghost” or “straw owner.” The course of is an illegal manner to get round state legal guidelines that say an Oklahoman should personal 75-percent of a marijuana develop operation. The different 25-percent proprietor might be from out-of-state.
“These people are just as guilty as the criminal organizations that are now using those licenses,” stated Mark Woodward with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.
Drug brokers stated that’s the place prison organizations come in and masks the true possession, which generally is a problem to show.
“They know who they’re dealing with. And I don’t think they care. I think it’s about money,” stated Woodward.
On Tuesday, AG Drummond despatched a letter to DA Greg Mashburn saying his workplace will take over prosecution.
The Oklahoma Bar Association instructed News 4 Stacy remains to be training regulation and “is in good standing.” The affiliation stated it displays and follows any instances towards attorneys.
“It is always concerning when an Oklahoma licensed attorney is charged with a crime,” stated Lori Rasmussen, the Director of Communications for the Bar Association.
Stacy’s attorney, Joe White, was unable to communicate on digicam immediately however supplied News 4 with the next assertion:
On behalf of our shoppers whose operations fall below the medical marijuana legal guidelines and rules, our agency was in common communication with the OBNDD for 3 years discussing the company’s ever-changing interpretations of the statutes and guidelines that should be met for OBNDD licensure. We have been and can proceed to be extraordinarily clear and adaptable primarily based on our understanding of the regulation and present rules, even after we are in basic disagreement with some elements of the company’s interpretation and implementation of the licensing necessities.
We imagine strongly in the Constitutional and statutory lawmaking course of. We have at all times labored throughout the bounds of the regulation, as it’s written when advocating and representing our shoppers. This business and the professionals that help it have been left to function in a regulatory surroundings that’s inconsistent and arbitrary. Anytime now we have taken a authorized place or strategy that encountered resistance now we have requested for company clarification, most occasions with out response. Nonetheless, now we have been and can proceed to be clear in all our interactions with Oklahoma’s medical marijuana regulatory companies
Joe White
The AG instructed News 4 he’s conscious others in comparable prison exercise shall be watching and studying this story. He has a message for them.
“The time is up. They need to move to Arkansas, Texas, Kansas. I know if you’re aware, but get out of our state because this attorney general is going to use his best efforts for the next 203 weeks to set a standard,” he stated.
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