Story of a Bust

**seeker** · 05-19-2003, 07:27 PM

Found this over at Elite Fitness and it's been discussed over at Anabolex:

As a student with the semester off and the day off of work I slept in one day only to get a knock on the door. It was a younger lady with a package and she asked if my girlfriend was home, I said no she's at work and she said oh, then you can take it then. Since I just woke up and wasn't thinking I took it and then looked at it [didn't even need to sign for it]. A minute later I saw it wasn't stamped so I took it out of my apartment not thinking (hadn't even opened it) to find the deliverer and an older, bigger lady was at the end of the hallway watching. She followed me down the hall in to the apartment elevator asking me what the time was. I didn't want to get off on the first floor where I was sure the other lady would get off so I pushed the second floor button.

When we got to the second floor she asked me if I was who my name is and I replied why?, she said because I was under arrest so I said yes I was who she said I was. She handcuffed me on the second floor and called other people on her cell phone to meet us on the second floor. It took about 20 minutes but about a dozen people arrived from local police to postal inspectors. She asked what I was doing with the package and I said I was going to give it back.

At that point they took me to my room and asked me if I had the keys on me because they'd prefer not to break in the door. I said yes and they had me sit down at the dining room table while a nicer uniformed cop was turning the pages of my search warrant to let me read it.

After a while they brought me into my small bathroom and crowded around me to question me (technique to intimidate). They started a recorder and read me my rights then asked if I wanted to talk to them. I said no and they said this wasn't looking good and gave me a bunch of BS about knowing where it came from and where it was going, and how I should cooperate, etc. I gave them a look like they were full of it, and they hauled me off to county. The nicer cop took me down (that turned out to be his purpose for being there) he joked with me a bit, I asked him if my girlfriend was in trouble and he said probably since her name was on the package, and I told him I wasn't about to talk to them because they would use anything I said to get me into more trouble. He said maybe, then said if I ever repeated what he was about to say he would deny it but told me that I was just a small fish. He asked if I knew what he was talking about and then he said of course you do.

From what I know county jails are different from county to county but mine had a TV in the room most of the day and a video camera watching us. I was photographed, fingerprinted, stripped (typical prcedure for those accused of a felony) and given bright orange prison clothes, given a blanket and crappy roll-up mattress, slippers, and brought to my room. They had turned off the phone in the room so I couldn't use it yet (I'm sure they wanted to get at whoever their investigation would lead to before them being informed and didn't want me talking to an attorney just yet). My cellmate was sleeping still but woke up shortly and since I was a nervous wreck talking things over with him calmed me down a bit. He had anxiety and depression problems, would get very aggressive sometimes too. He told me he had beat up his last cellmate and attacked the judge during his trial. In prison the food is horrible, so bad my cellmate said he had gas for months the first time, would even stink out the guys in the next cell. Everything supposed to be hot is cold and everything supposed to be cold is warm. You get out for about 20 minutes to go to the library. And things race through your mind about what's going on outside all the time. Best thing you an do is get your mind on something else: the TV, a book or magazine, a card game, etc otherwise you'll give yourself an ulcer. I found out those who ransacked my home was part of the local narcotics task force. The one who got the warrant and seemed to be running things (and made the delivery) was obviously in training though and wasn't the head of the task force (the bigger lady was).

The one who was running the investigation and the head of the task force, brought me into the interrogation room later on to talk to me again. My cellmate said not to say a word. They said they had 48 hrs to charge me with something and asked if I wanted to talk to them again. I said no, they said okay and as they were leaving I asked them about my girlfriend. They said I didn't want to talk with them I said okay, bye and they left. Soon afterwards I was able to use the phone. I called my girlfriend to ask what happened and she was scared. They interrogated her at her work and had turned the apartment upside down. They left a reciept of what was taken and they had vitamins, supplements, internet bills, and other stuff like that- nothing scheduled and not my computer. It didn't appear to my girlfirend that I was in trouble with the apartment- I'm friends with some of the managers. I told my girlfriend not to worry and said not to call my parents because they didn't have much of a case and I wasn't in much trouble. My cellmate told me I should call a lawyer to get the arraignment process sped up. I told him I didnt have any money but he had plenty of experience with the public defenders and told me which ones were best. He had the phone number to the public defender's office memorized and called it so I could talk to them and ask for a couple certain ones to see if I could get their help and speed things up. They wouldn't talk to me but the next day I found out the phone call probably did some help. Someone came in a vacuumed the dust out of the vents. I thought that was weird and asked my cellmate if he's ever seen that happen before. He said no so I assumed the vent was bugged. He said there was a listening device just outside the cell and everywhere in the building. The phones were bugged too. One time he was walking outside in the halls and farted, someone of the intercom said "nice one!"

My cell-mate was very helpfull until he left for a narcotics-anonymous meeting that night. When he came back he changed his tune and was questioning me very hard for hours about everything saying he was trying to help. He was especially concerned about some sort of paper trail that might get me in in trouble and wanted me to tell him about any paper trail so he could help me. I figured the task force got to him and offered him a deal for any info.

The next day I got arraigned and the guy who showed up to defend me was reputed to be the best public defender in town. So maybe my phone call had something to do with that. They let me out without bail as long as I agreed to make the court appearances, not get into any trouble, and not drink. I saw the complaint and they had lied about what the package deliverer said. The complaint said she asked me if I wanted the package and claimed I had told her yes. All they had charged me with was possession. It had also said a package of methandrostenylone from Thailand came through Oakland, California when my entry point is Chicago. It also claimed a dog had sniffed it out and alerted customs to it. It also said that since I was going to the 2nd floor they thought I was trying to bring it to somebody there, bunch of BS. And they'd talked to my apartment managers.

I called Rick Collins when I got back and left a message. And I ordered his book, Legal Muscle. That Monday he called me back, I told him a bit about the case and he told me I had something with the dog. I told him I ordered his book and he said if I learn anything about the dog give him a call since he had a client the same was claimed about. I read some posts on a couple message boards that were extremely similar to my situation around the same time, one was similar right down to the dog and one running the investigation being in training (maybe a federal agent in training?).

I got Rick's book quickly and Rick was even nice enough to sign it. It showed me much more than I had known, even went into jailhouse snitches, warrants, probably cause, state laws, arguments, everything my lawyer and I needed to know. My girlfriend came back from work one day to tell me my legal problems had been smeared all over the front page of the local newspaper, right down to my name and adress. They'd gotten a couple things wrong but I just wanted to forget about it. I'm also pretty sure I was followed and spied on for about a month after the raid.

My lawyer gave me a call and I came in to meet with him. I hadn't seen the newspaper article yet but he said they'd given him a call and he was so surprised to get a call over something that small he didn't know quite what to say. He said no comment looks bad so he told them there were definately some things we didn't agree about what was said (which was put in the article). He thought we had a good point about the dog too so we photocopied a part on Rick book that said as of the writing no canine units had been trained to sniff out steroids in America and faxed it over to the prosecuter demanding everything known about the dog out of full disclosure. Well the federal govt kept giving them the runaround and the omnibus hearing was delayed twice. It had been 3 months since I was arrested and they couldn't get any info. Finally they put a different prosecutor on the case and prepared him to argue that they didn't need to give us the info.

On the day the hearing was supposed to take place my lawyer was ready to argue a part of the warrant and argue the dog never existed. The prosecutor called my attorney up and gave us a deal where the complaint would be shelved and as long as I don't get into the same sort of trouble for 6-12 mo (I forget which), the complaint would be destroyed. Sounded like the best offer I could posssibly get and I wasn't about to chance my fate to a court with that offer standing. Since I haven't ever been in the same sort of trouble before I'm not too worried.

What I found out from this and reading Rick's book:
1)Search warrants are just about always conducted in the morning (generally before the mailman comes)
2)If you refuse the package the search warrant is just about always void, and if they go through with the search you have a very good chance at challenging it and removing admission of any evidence from the search to the court
3)They almost always deliver the package before raiding your house, Rick's book tells of a time when the package was refused and they tried to throw the package inside the house- if a package that's supposed to be delivered to your mailbox is being delivered to your doorstep- be suspicious
4)If arrested don't say a thing- they will have to read your rights to you and part of what they are reading to you warns you not to say anything or you will get in more trouble, the other part says you can demand an attorney right then. Still yet, 84% of people know this and waive their rights anyway. And the police interrogation techniques are suprisingly powerful enough to get just about all these people into more trouble- even cops. Always say you don't want to talk to them and want an attorney!!!
5)beware of jailhouse snitches
6)a good lawyer makes a difference
7)IMO nothing was ever even sent from Thailand, sometimes people are set up.

**Big Rush** · 05-19-2003, 07:39 PM

Damn, thats crazy...good info.!!! bumo

**sin** · 05-19-2003, 08:31 PM

wow. thanks for posting that. its a must read for people on this board

**BigGreen** · 05-19-2003, 08:34 PM

good, but scary read.

**MBaraso** · 05-19-2003, 11:10 PM

Bump

**Animal Cracker** · 05-20-2003, 12:30 AM

BUMP

**big swoll** · 05-20-2003, 12:47 AM

great read....i hate that he had to go through that ....bump

**Mr.gH** · 05-20-2003, 01:02 AM

Yes, its true narcs are everywhere. I hope I never have a similar experience to share.

**Tock** · 05-20-2003, 08:31 PM

It had also said a package of methandrostenylone from Thailand came through Oakland, California when my entry point is Chicago. It also claimed a dog had sniffed it out and alerted customs to it.
===================================

Now that's BS . . .
I used to train sniffer dogs in the military, and all we ever trained 'em to sniff was grass, hash, heroin, and etc (narcotics), and there were some other guys who trained 'em to sniff for bombs (TNT, gunpowder, etc).
. Never did we train 'em for AS. No way you can train 'em to sniff for stuff dissolved in, say, cottonseed oil, because there's lots of snacks made with it. Train 'em to sniff for stuff dissolved in sesame oil, and they'd alert to anything with a sesame seed on it. Nah, that's a lie direct from the very bowels of Satan Himself! (lol) But--I hope anyone else who gets pinched like this gets served papers that say their probable cause originated with a dog that sniffed their stuff, 'cause it's indefensible, and sure would make getting off very easy . . .
. Geez, but it's still gripes my ass every time I hear an official lying on legal papers like this . . . shows they ain't got much ethics . . .

**WS6_KID** · 05-20-2003, 08:44 PM

Great read thanx for the info

**monstercojones** · 05-20-2003, 09:05 PM

good read

BUMP

**Jarod** · 05-21-2003, 05:11 PM

thank you for sharing with us...we all can benefit from it.

**Power-BB** · 05-21-2003, 08:50 PM

Yeah I got Rick Collins book as well. It's 50 bucks but is a good read. His book in brief is don't say a damn thing and get a lawyer.

Power

**winny freak** · 05-21-2003, 10:42 PM

DAMN! THAT SUCKS. hOPE IT NEVER HAPPENS HERE. WHERE CAN I GET THAT BOOK. 50 BUCKS IS A DROP IN THE HAT COMPARED TO ?YRS IN A CAGE.BUMP.

FREAK

**Phreak101** · 05-21-2003, 11:19 PM

Is it just me or does this post seem like kind of a "true life" scare tactic so people will by his book? There is an awful lot of subtle "this book was the answer to my problem" talk in this post...

Just my 2c...

**Pinch** · 05-22-2003, 07:47 AM

Originally posted by Phreak101
Is it just me or does this post seem like kind of a "true life" scare tactic so people will by his book? There is an awful lot of subtle "this book was the answer to my problem" talk in this post...

Just my 2c...

or maybe the book just helped him out a lot so he is encouraging others to buy it

***Cycleon*** · 05-22-2003, 09:03 AM

it is a bit of an infomertial but - there is a lot of good info in the post - I also have the book and would ceratinly say that it is worth every penny of $50 and if you are in the game you are stupid not to have it - if nothing else so you can give it to your PD who probably doesnt know anything about juice - knowing what they try and seeeing a few case studies can help you avoid doing something super stupid (like opening your mouth during arrest) - this is something you have to have drilled into you or people will crack and say something - cops are very good at this - and frankly we want them to be - just not for juice.

**monstercojones** · 05-22-2003, 11:38 AM

even when you get pulled over bros, they fuck with you. if a cop says... "do you know why i pulled you over?" and you say "yes." that, legally, indicates that you know youre doing something illegal and implies guilt and gives probable cause for a search right off the bat. be smart and careful everyone.

peace, MC

**EXCESS** · 05-23-2003, 10:04 AM

Seems like a shameless load of crap to me. He makes the county lockup seem like hell...good touch with the food. Cellmate that attacked the judge...nice addition to the plot. Informants involved for a possession charge...lost me there. Good legal info, but overall the story is polished to help sell that book.