The Red Emperor Collective is medical marijuana growing collective and has been wrongfully prosecuted on felony charges. It is located in Tacoma, Washington and besides having a legitimate business license is being charged with felony charges on the basis of overdue tax payment of $20000 in spite of paying regular charges.
The problem started when Governor Gregoire decided to veto all parts that made medical marijuana dispensaries legal. The collective was then known as Northwest Herbal Care and received a letter from the city that the business license has been revoked with a 30 day appeal period. The appeal process went on for 2 years and finally giving up fighting with the government the collective owner Mr.Meshach closed the dispensary and opened up at a new location with the name of Red Emperor Collective.
Here starts the real problem in December 2011 when the Red Emperor Collective received a letter from the Revenue Department stating that the Taxes were due. At the same time the business license was in threat on the basis of being illegal. The company filed their taxes normally and paid $2000 cash as partial payment for 2 quarters of business. A few weeks later a tax bill of $20000 was sent by the Department of Revenue. Besides that they were not allowed to deduct the medical costs which are being paid to the vendors. It has also been clearly stated that that they cannot close down the business and start another one until the taxes are paid.
However, the business was able to get some time to catch up with the taxes. While they had to move to the building next door as the current landlord was not paying his mortgage and the bank was going to change the locks. According to the rules they cannot move into a new address so they had to move to the building next door with the same address with a different suit name. Business started picking up and they had the chance of paying off the tax in due time if everything went well. But here comes the next problem. The owner of the Red Emperor Collective Mr. Meshach his wife and 5 kids had to rent another house from the same landlord in order to provide better space for the patients.
So, they rented a house in University Place from the same landlord. He had a longtime friend of 10 years living there because she was about to be homeless and was asking him for help. Now before they moved into the house the landlord had each bedroom rented out to different individuals. The landlord made them all move out so that Red Emperor could have the space to grow marijuana for their patients.
Now the lady that moved in had a friend that had a medical marijuana card and she wanted to grow her 15 plants in her own room. Mr. Meshach agreed because he wanted his friend to be able to earn some extra money. A few months later her 18 year old son acquired a medical marijuana from his friend and was allowed to grow 8 plants in a closet to help his friend keep his medical costs low. So that that time the total number of plants in the house reached 65. 44 plants for Red Emperor Collective and the rest of the owner’s friend and her son.
In August 2012 the friend called Mr. Meshach, and informed that her son and his friend both 18 years old were spending their night at the house, were at the house with the police. They were outside in the yard playing with their dog when a man named Karl Rubicam called 911 and reported that he saw two men breaking into the house. The 911 was answered by the police and an Animal Control officer named Travis Lyons. Travis Lyons was one of the first men to enter the house. Now the question is why as an Animal control officer respond to a burglary call. While there were no charges placed on them. When Mia Teronino the ‘friend’ and tenant of the house and also the mother of one of the kids approached the police she was immediately asked whether there was any money in the house. She told them that she had about $14000 cash in her dresser. The police told her that the kids were to be taken to jail and cavity searched because they accused the two boys of stealing the money and hiding it from their mother.
The first police officer who entered the house they took pictures of every room and the cash was on the desk a few hours later the cash was missing and the blame was on the two kids. However, nine months later, Travis Lyons, the animal control officer was pleaded guilty of the theft of the money. He was originally also charged with Evidence Tampering but this charge was mysteriously dismissed when he was pleading guilty of theft. Since there was a theft at the crime scene the police decided to destroy the plants and take all the growing equipment from the house with a blow of about $40000 to the business. This was the money originally intended to pay off the Tax warrant. The whole police raid was a setup for the theft, although only the animal control office Travis Lyons confessed his crime and was found guilty.
Now the owner of Red Emperor Collective is facing felony charges and a risk of 10 years imprisonment. Therefore, here is an appeal from Mr. Meshach, and his wife to all medical marijuana patients and also other collective growers to support him in his felony trial so that he can get justice and the business can be saved.
For Media Contact:
The Red Emperor Collective
2107 S. 12th St
Tacoma, Washington
253-301-1791
[email protected]
http://theredemperor.org/
