 San Diego MCC 808 Union St. San Diego, CA 92101 Federal agents arrested 12 people in San Diego County associated with Joshua Hester, who was arrested in West Hollywood on July 9, 2010. The indictment claims that Hester, 29, distributed 3,000 pounds of marijuana he purchased from a major Los Angeles dealer in 2007 and 2008. Federal authorities also claim that Hester was the silent owner of the San Diego's Downtown Kush Lounge and Mission Bay's Green Kross Collective. The Mission Bay location was co-owned with Joseph Nunes, who was arrested in a September 2009 raid by San Diego law enforcement. Joshua Hester pleaded guilty on January 3, 2012 to eight counts including conspiracy to distribute over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, conspiracy to maintain drug-related premises, and conspiracy to launder money. Hester was sentenced to 100 months in custody by U.S. District Judge Irma Gonzalez on January 24, 2013. Hester will serve over eight years in federal custody for operating Kush Lounge and Green Kross Collective. Since October 2011, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in coordination with the Drug Enforcement Administration, has issued cease and desist letters to about 253 marijuana dispensaries in the San Diego County and Imperial County. The Department of Justice reports that there was a 95 percent self-closure rate in response to the letters. Fourteen remaining dispensaries in the San Diego area were raided in September 2009. |
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