A former member of the Inglewood Police Department is expected to plead guilty to drug distribution charges for allegedly selling large amounts of cocaine while serving as a police officer. 

47-year-old John Abel Baca of Whittier, California was originally arrested on October 2, 2021 after being indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that he sold cocaine to an informant on two occasions in 2021. A recent announcement by the United States Department of Justice indicated that Baca recently agreed to plead guilty to one charge of cocaine distribution. 

Baca served as an officer with the Inglewood Police Department for 21 years before being accused of drug dealing. He also served as the police union representative. The DOJ press release said that Baca brought a federal informant an undisclosed amount of cocaine on April 29, 2021. A recording of this meeting would later show that this was for the pseudo-purpose of the cooperating witness showing the cocaine to potential buyers. 

According to the DOJ, a second meeting was then arranged in which Baca agreed to provide the witness with one kilogram of cocaine for $22,000 USD. That meeting was arranged for May 4 of the same year when Baca reportedly delivered the kilogram of cocaine to the informant’s workplace and then collected $22,000 from the informant’s residence later that same day. 

A plea agreement entered by Baca would later show that before these exchanges, Baca allegedly told the witness in February that he could get him one kilogram of cocaine, two kilograms of “white china” heroin and an unlimited supply of black tar heroin which the witness said Baca claimed he had stolen during traffic stops in his capacity as a police officer with the IPD. 

The DOJ said that in Baca’s plea agreement he admitted that he “abused his position of trust as a police officer, including by stealing drugs from IPD’s lock-up and reselling them.”

Another man involved in this case is also awaiting trial after authorities said he may have helped Baca distribute the drugs while Baca was still a police officer. 

44-year-old Gerardo Ekonomo of South Los Angeles was arrested on October 28, 2021 in connection with the John Baca case, who was arrested just a week prior to Ekonomo. CBS Los Angeles said in 2021 that Ekonomo’s arrest is what ultimately led to Baca’s downfall. 

Federal authorities alleged that Ekonomo, who had previously been approved to serve as a police informant for Baca, was culpable in helping Baca distribute drugs. When Ekonomo’s home was raided in 2021, police found drugs and a firearm in his home as well as a kilogram of heroin and half a kilogram of suspected cocaine buried in his backyard.

Ekonomo was also arrested in Las Vegas in June of 2021 with three kilograms of heroin in his car, according to the article by CBS LA. It was after this arrest that Baca reportedly contacted the Las Vegas Police Department to see if Ekonomo could help his case by cooperating with IPD. The charges were not dropped but Ekonomo was then registered to work as an informant for Baca.

However, according to an FBI affidavit, Ekonomo never actually did any work as an informant. The FBI alleged that Ekonomo ‘conducted no documented operations after he was signed up as an informant,” and that Baca “[was] willing to abuse his position as a law enforcement officer in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities and to assist and protect his co-conspirators.”

Ekonomo faced a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum life sentence if convicted at the time he was arrested in 2021. Before Baca accepted his plea deal he faced a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 60 years. It was not immediately clear how Baca’s plea deal would affect his sentencing or when Ekonomo’s trial was set to begin. 

This case remains under investigation by the FBI and the DOJ said that the Inglewood Police Department has given their full cooperation in this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cassie D. Palmer of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section. John Baca is due in court on October 17 where he is expected to plead guilty.

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A pair of United Airlines workers are facing legal turbulence after getting busted for stealing marijuana from passengers’ checked luggage. 

According to various media reports, the two employees––Joel Lamont Dunn and Adrian Webb––worked as ramp cargo agents for United at San Francisco International Airport. 

It was there that the two allegedly operated a scheme involving other workers who were paid good money to steal the contraband from the luggage. 

The Los Angeles Times, citing a criminal complaint from the FBI, reports that Dunn and Webb “were charged on June 9 with conspiring to distribute a controlled substance.”

“Starting in 2020, Dunn and Webb oversaw an operation where other workers were paid $2,000 or more in cash each shift—or up to $10,000 a week—to steal large quantities of marijuana from checked luggage,” the Times reports. 

The San Francisco Standard, citing prosecutors in the case, that one of the airline workers approached by Dunn to join the scheme subsequently became a confidential source for law enforcement officials.

Things began to unravel for Dunn and Webb in June of 2021, when they were “robbed at gunpoint in the [San Francisco International] employee parking lot near their vehicles,” according to the San Francisco Standard.

While Dunn and Webb reported the robbery to law enforcement, they did not mention the stolen marijuana.

The Los Angeles Times reports: “Video surveillance footage from before and after the robbery showed the two men and other employees carrying 15- to 20-gallon black trash bags out of the secure area of the airport, the FBI complaint says. The video also shows Webb carrying a black trash bag, walking through the parking garage, heading toward his vehicle. Subsequent video footage from October 2022 showed the two men engaged in similar activity, taking bags of unknown contents from the secured area of the airport to their personal vehicles, according to the FBI. Contacted by law enforcement, one of the men initially denied that the contents belong to them but later recanted. A search warrant revealed that a black trash bag and two boxes contained multiple vacuumed sealed bags of what lab testing confirmed was approximately 30 pounds of marijuana, the FBI said. At least five people were involved in the operation, according to the complaint, but so far only Dunn and Webb have been charged.”

As more states legalized recreational cannabis use, restrictions on traveling with pot have also been relaxed. The Transportation Security Administration says that its “screening procedures are focused on security and are designed to detect potential threats to aviation and passengers,” adding that its officers “do not search for marijuana or other illegal drugs, but if any illegal substance is discovered during security screening, TSA will refer the matter to a law enforcement officer.”

Because airports are locally operated, officers generally defer to their local laws. In other words: if pot is legal, you’re probably good to fly with it. But travelers should be wary of the laws at their intended destination. Some airports, like O’Hare International in Chicago, have installed “amnesty boxes” for travelers to ditch their weed before flying.

“We’re not encouraging people to bring cannabis through the airports at all,” Chicago Police Department spokeswoman Maggie Huynh said in 2020, after the boxes were installed at O’Hare. “But if for some reason you have it on you, we have those amnesty boxes out there so that you can dispose of it prior to getting on the airplane.”

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The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence passed the FY24 Intelligence Authorization Act in a 17-0 vote on June 14, which includes a provision that prevents discrimination or denial of jobs in government intelligence agencies.

The bill was proposed by Sen. Ron Wyden, a senior member of the committee. “This bill includes historic bipartisan legislation reforming the country’s broken classification and declassification system,” said Wyden in a press release. “The bill also includes my provision to ensure that cannabis use will not disqualify intelligence community applicants from serving their country. It’s a commonsense change to ensure the IC [intelligence community] can recruit the most capable people possible. Finally, the bill includes critically important provisions to protect Intelligence Community whistleblowers.”

Previously in June 2022, Wyden filed an amendment that “prohibited any Federal agency from denying or revoking an individual’s eligibility for access to classified information solely because of past or present use of cannabis” last year. A second-degree amendment reduced to only intelligence agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and National Security Agency (NSA). The original text which described “past or present use” was changed to “pre-employment.”

Later in September 2022, Wyden’s proposal was met with opposition from Sen. Chuck Grassley and Sen. John Cornyn who objected to its inclusion in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

According to Chairman Mark Warner, the FY24 Intelligence Authorization Act “furthers the Committee’s efforts to reform the security clearance process, so that the IC can attract and expeditiously on-board a talented, diverse, and trusted workforce to meet the emerging challenges we face.”

On March 8, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines addressed the need for security clearance inclusions. “We recognize, frankly, that many states have legalized or decriminalized marijuana use and wanted to be sure that we’re not disqualifying people solely for that purpose in that context,” Haines said at the hearing.

“We obviously believe that we want to have the talent that exists in America—and when somebody is using it [cannabis] experimentally in a legal state that’s something that shouldn’t on its own essentially disqualify,” Haines continued. “We continue to approach this from a whole-person perspective. And we expect if anybody takes the job to comply with our policies and our laws in a trusted position.”

The discussion of security clearance for cannabis users goes further back to a memo from Haines in January 2022, following up from guidance signed in December 2021.

Other federal agencies have addressed cannabis consumption as well. 

Back in 2014, former FBI Director James Comey suggested that the agency should consider loosening employment rules for cannabis. “I have to hire a great work force to compete with those cyber criminals and some of those kids want to smoke weed on the way to the interview,” Comey said, according to an interview with Wall Street Journal.

The FBI originally disqualified any applicants of they had consumed cannabis within the past three years of their application. Now as of July 2021, the rule applies to cannabis use within one year.

In March, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives revised its rules so that anyone who has legally cultivated, manufactured or sold cannabis would still be considered for a job. However, those who did so in violation of state law would be disqualified.

In May, the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) updated its rules on cannabis use for applicants, stating that those who have used hemp-derived CBD products within one year prior to their application would be reviewed “on a case-by-case basis by adjudicative personnel.” Previously, the USSS based its rules around age, where 24 years or younger could apply after one year free of cannabis consumption, but 28 and older would not be eligible for at least five years after consumption.

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The FBI’s Uniform Crime Report used to issue solid data on weed arrests. Not anymore. Here’s why you shouldn’t believe this year’s numbers.

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An armored vehicle company claims that officers from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) stole legally obtained cash from drivers and clients.

Empyreal Logistics, a company that transports money for dispensaries and other companies, filed a civil suit in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Eastern Division. Empyreal does not even transport cannabis itself—just large amounts of cash for cannabis-related companies. The company operates in multiple states.

Police and federal agents learned the trucks catered to cannabis businesses, so they picked off trucks of cash as though they were sitting ducks, even though the businesses are state-legal.

The legal team for Empyreal accuses the FBI and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department of allegedly scheming to illegally pull over company vehicles and seize money from its clients.

The Institute for Justice reports that during five specific stops, no arrests or tickets were given—yet they led to forfeiture of all deposits in the trucks, anyways. Three particular stops alone amounted to over $1 million in cash.

“Specifically, Plaintiff Empyreal Logistics, a cash-in-transit company operating in 28 states, challenges the ongoing stops and searches of its vehicles, and the seizure of cash and other property lawfully transported therein,” the civil suit reads. 

It continues, “These unlawful and unconstitutional stops, searches, and seizures are orchestrated by the Department of Justice and its subordinate law-enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration, in conjunction with local law-enforcement officials, including the San Bernardino County Sheriff. Together, these law-enforcement agencies are targeting armored vehicles owned by Empyreal because those vehicles are transporting cash proceeds from state-legal medical and adult-use cannabis dispensaries to legitimate financial institutions such as banks and credit unions. Notably, Empyreal never transports any actual cannabis.”

What is especially alarming is the stops involving the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department—where cannabis is legal.

The problem isn’t limited to California. Beginning in May 2021, Empyreal’s vehicles have been stopped and searched by sheriff’s deputies five times, with two incidents in Kansas and three more in San Bernardino County, California. The three San Bernardino incidents took place over the course of just eight weeks, including the most recent stop January 6. 

One incident involved an employee of Empyreal during a traffic stop on May 18 in Dickinson County, Kansas after being collected by the employee from medical cannabis dispensaries in Missouri. In that incident, Empyreal is seeking the return of $165,000 in cash.

Transporting large amounts of cash is due to the federal legal status of cannabis, which bars most cannabis companies from dealing with banks.

As it turns out, some legal experts pointed to a motive for the questionable seizures.

The Institute for Justice notes that each time officers seized money (legal proceeds), they turned it over to federal agencies to go through federal forfeiture protocols. If successfully forfeited, up to 80 percent of the money taken through the federal “equitable sharing” program would then return to local sheriffs to spend as they please.

Furthermore, companies such as Empyreal are considered essential, because moving the cash off of properties reduces the danger level for robberies.

While sheriffs may think they can use the federal equitable sharing program as a loophole around state law, the forfeitures are not allowed under federal law either.

JD Supra notes that despite a recent Supreme Court ruling under Timbs v. Indiana, “asset forfeiture laws still stand as uniquely effective enforcement tools that the county’s federal, state, and local law enforcement officials have at their disposal, posing a threat to the recreational cannabis market.”

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Covid lockdowns and legalization laws led to the fewest weed arrests since the 1990s. But why arrest anyone at all?

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Former teen Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) informant and former prisoner Richard Wershe Jr.—known as “White Boy Rick”—spent 32 years of a life sentence for cocaine possession. Within weeks after being freed, Wershe teamed up with cannabis producer Pleasantrees to launch a brand called The 8th.

Anyone who has seen 2018’s White Boy Rick starring Matthew McConaughey knows the story: When Wershe was 14, he became an informant for the FBI—being forced to snitch on upper-level drug lords. He was the youngest FBI informant in U.S. history. 

In the thick of the crack epidemic during the mid-80s, Wershe became deeply involved in the underbelly of the world of organized crime. Even though the FBI pushed him into that world working as an informant, Wershe was busted at age 17 for having eight kilos of cocaine.

“I took money that they gave me to buy drugs, I then took those drugs and sold them,” Wershe told VICE. “They taught me to be a drug dealer and I became a drug dealer.” 

Wershe was slapped with a life sentence in 1988 despite being under 18 years old. 

White Boy Rick’s New Life

Wershe—now 52—spent his entire adult life in prison, missing out on spending time with his dying father, among other events. He was finally released on good behavior from a halfway-house prison facility in Florida in July. On July 19, at 10:30 a.m., Wershe was picked up by his fiancée.

Wershe filed a $100 million lawsuit against former FBI agents and prosecutors—alleging child abuse in connection with his time spent as an informant. As a 14-16-year-old at the time of his informant days, he just might have a solid case.

He alleges that the only reason he got involved in cocaine sales was because the FBI coerced him into doing it. He claims drug lords attempted to assassinate him, on one occasion.

Wershe is finally free, and didn’t waste any time teaming up with Michigan-based producer Pleasantrees Cannabis Company to launch a brand called The 8th. The 8th is symbolic of both an eighth of weed and the Eighth Amendment—which in theory supposedly protects Americans against “cruel and unusual punishments.” Wershe obviously wasn’t a recipient of those protections, but he hopes to spread awareness about inhumane cases such as his own. The 8th will launch this fall, and will feature cannabis accessories and other products. 

Wershe pointed out that life sentence for pot-related crimes are just as insane. “I’ve met people in federal prison doing life sentences for marijuana. I mean, it was tonnes, but you know it was still a plant. Life for a cannabis crime was a bit harsh.” 

“I think we could release 50 percent of the people in our prison system and it wouldn’t make society any more dangerous because over 50 percent are non-violent offenders.” 

Wershe does not in fact smoke weed, but strongly believes that the criminalization of drugs in America is corrupt, uninformed, and laws need to be changed so that people aren’t locked up in prison for nonviolent crimes.

He also said that big pharmaceutical companies are the real cartels. While ongoing lawsuits are fixing some of the problem, the people responsible for synthetic opioid deaths walk free, while a mid-level teen who sold cocaine had to spend his adult life in prison. “There’s been 500,000 deaths, $27 billion in fines. And not one person has been incarcerated,” He added.

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Nevada industry players have been getting interviewed by the FBI over the cannabis licensing process. 

The investigation is to see if any people or businesses tried to bribe politicians or other government officials in any way to obtain licenses to operate. Since 2016, recreational cannabis has been legal in Nevada, and there has been controversy over the process the entire time. Applicants who didn’t get licenses have brought corruption charges against those who are in business, and there has been discussion about the cannabis companies associated with politicians and business leaders, and whether they obtained their licenses ethically. 

So far, the state has given out more than 750 licenses for all parts of the industry. A total of 335 of those are dual licenses for medical and recreational providers. 

“My gut told me, and our Spidey sense is telling us, there is a lot of ‘pay to play,’” Chad Christensen, a former legislator and co-owner of Pisos Dispensary in Las Vegas, told the Las Vegas Review Journal. He is one of the concerned individuals who came forth and chatted with the FBI. At least two other anonymous sources have been interviewed as well. 

On February 18, 2020, the investigation became official, as Nevada’s attorney general was notified about the investigation. 

“I don’t comment on investigations and am not authorized to do that,” FBI agent Matt Edwards said when questioned by the Las Vegas Review Journal. “I’m not going to have any conversation about FBI investigations.”

“It’s all about public trust and confidence,” said Tyler Klimas of the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board. “As regulators of the state’s cannabis industry, it’s imperative that we work with our federal partners to ensure that trust and confidence extends outside of our borders and prevents any actions that could damage the state’s reputation or harm the industry.”

Further controversy following the original scandal surfaced in 2018 when 64 new licenses became available. The Nevada Department of Taxation allegedly received more than 460 applications total from 127 different groups and people who were interested in getting involved in the industry. However, only 17 of those applicants received all 64 of those licenses. This brought about an even bigger lawsuit that was called “World War Weed” by some industry insiders. It has now been elevated to the Nevada Supreme Court. 

In 2019, to try and get some of the controversy to die down, the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board was established to potentially take over the licensing process in the future from the  Gaming Control Board, who had previously been in control. The  idea behind this move was to try and eliminate further controversy and show that new, unbiased people were being put in charge. The board was responsible for issuing permits for consumption lounges as well, and the hope was to make licenses for growers, manufacturers, and retail businesses more available and accessible. 

However, they were not successful in mitigating controversy, as FBI agents began their investigation in 2020. They interviewed a source as recently as this past April about the “pay to play” nature of cannabis in Nevada. 

“They were interested in talking about all licensing issues from a year ago plus,” the anonymous source said regarding the allegation and the investigation, when asked by the Las Vegas Review Journal what the nature of the investigation was. 

According to sources, the FBI didn’t ask about politicians, but asked a lot of questions about the former taxation department deputy director Jorge Pupo, who was put on leave in 2019 and seems to be a person of interest when it comes to the FBI investigation. 

Currently, the FBI is being silent about the investigation and when it may come to an end, but one thing is clear—they are taking these claims of corruption very seriously.

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