Saturday, November 22, 2014

Nevada County pot processing operation busted, 7 arrested

MIDEAST ISRAEL PALESTINIANS
(Photo: NASSER ISHTAYEH, AP)
Seven people were taken into custody after a marijuana processing operation in Nevada County was raided on Wednesday.
The Nevada County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Task Force served a search warrant at a location on Kentucky Flat Road. There, they reported finding a large indoor marijuana processing area with 17 active trimming/processing stations. several hundred pounds of processed pot, 33 grams of heroin, a mason jar full of opium poppies and $16,913 in cash, sheriff's Capt. Jeff Pettitt said. There was a large marijuana stalks burn pile and the scent of marijuana.
Investigators determined the property was being rented by 23-year-old Matthew Wilkes. Pettitt said several of the 20 people on the property claimed Wilkes hired them to trim marijuana plants. They also alleged none of the marijuana belonged to them.
Arrested on marijuana and drug-related allegations and conspiracy to commit a felony were Wilkes, Michael Seban, 23, of South Lake Tahoe; Sandra Canessa, 26 of San Francisco; Ian Dominguez 26 of Pleasant Hill; Jeanne Culver, 37, from Washington; Claire Ray, 27, of Royal Oaks; and Alexandra Trupp, 32, transient.

Why you shouldn't reach for that $100 bill on your windshield

Authorities in Maryland have warned the public about a potential holiday scam that involves the temptation of a $100 bill left on a car windshield.
The simple scheme works like this: Drivers walk to their parked cars and, after they get in the vehicle, they notice a $100 bill in the windshield. The driver exits the car with the door open to retrieve it, only to have a thief steal the vehicle.
Karen Straughn, Maryland Assistant Attorney General – Consumer Protection, wants the public to be aware of it, as reported by ABC affiliate WJLA-TV in Washington. Straughn said an unknown resident, during a public information safety session in Baltimore County, informed her of one incident, but Straughn said she has not seen a police report about it.
"But because it's something of a frightening nature, if this happens to someone, we hope they will take the proper precautions," Straughn told ABC News.
A spokesman for the Prince George's County Police Department said there is no record of this scam taking place in that area.
The Baltimore County Police Department's auto theft task force told ABC News that while it has not seen the $100 bill scam at this time, "We have seen incidents where auto thieves will bump the back of someone's car in traffic. When everyone gets out of their cars, a thief will jump in the victim's car and drive off," a police department spokesman said.
Straughn said she is aware that the scam is touted online as an urban legend, but she wants to warn the public as a precautionary measure.
There are a couple other scams involving drivers in parking lots that Straughn wants the public to be aware.
"With the fact that the holidays are coming up and more shopping, we believe this is something that could occur in this period of time," she said.
According to Straughn, other schemes involve scammers approaching a car owner in a parking lot, asking if they can help repair a vehicle's "ding or dent" for an amount such as $200.
After the scammer completes the job, one of two things can occur: The owner will drive away and realize days later the shoddy job, such as peeling paint.
"They drive away and you can't catch them," Straughn said. "This is something that's more common in our [suburban] area, particularly with holiday shopping."
In other cases, the scammer will dispute the agreed amount and demand a larger sum, such as $2,000.
"One scammer went as far as to drive the individual to the bank," she said, adding the incident was reported to the police and the thief was caught.

Tina Fey Moves New Show to Netflix

Tina Fey and Ellie Kemper

Fey's relationship with NBC has extended more than a decade

Tina Fey is taking her show away from NBC.
The writer-actor-producer’s new series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt will now appear on Netflix instead, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Kimmy Schmidt stars Ellie Kemper from The Office as a woman who starts over in New York City after living in a cult.
Fey’s relationship with NBC has extended more than a decade. The television star first became famous as a performer on the channel’s Saturday Night Liveprogram. She eventually became that show’s head writer before creating 30 Rock, another NBC show.