0 Comments Drug Money, Counterfeit Clothing, Marijuana, Automatic Firearm Seized In South Haven, Police Say

[bobandtorey]

SOUTH HAVEN, MI — The Southwest Enforcement Team (SWET) seized counterfeit clothing items, suspected drug proceeds, illegal marijuana and a fully automatic firearm Thursday in  Van Buren County following a months-long undercover investigation, police said.

MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette file photo

Frank Consolino, 25, of South Haven, was arrested on a felony warrant during the execution of three search warrants for narcotics, police said. 

The searches were conducted at Tranquility Central, a store in downtown South Haven, and two residences in Geneva Township at 11:30 a.m., according to a news release from SWET.

Tranquility Central was previously searched in April 2012 after an investigation into the illegal sale and distribution of medical marijuana.

All the search warrants were a part of the same investigation, which took place over a several month period, police said. During the investigation, undercover detectives made multiples purchases of marijuana from the suspects, who repeatedly shared that they were hiding their illegal drug activities behind the claim that they were providing medical marijuana to patients, police said.

SWET is seeking warrants for the other owners and operators of the business and occupants of the two homes through the Van Buren County Prosecutor's Office. Their names are being withheld pending arrest warrants and arraignment, police said.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms will investigate the person who possessed the fully automatic firearm and will potentially seek federal prosecution for them, police said.

SWET is a multijurisdictional team of criminal investigators supervised by the Michigan State Police. Michigan State Police Paw Paw Post 51 and the South Haven Police Department assisted in this investigation.

[Kingdiamond]

  "All the search warrants were a part of the same investigation, which took place over a several month period, police said. During the investigation, undercover detectives made multiples purchases of marijuana from the suspects, who repeatedly shared that they were hiding their illegal drug activities behind the claim that they were providing medical marijuana to patients, police said."

 

(Yeah sure they did ....)

[t-pain]

you dont think they got em on tape saying some dumb donkey ?

[t-pain]

btw they usually run to the feds when they know the state law will let them go free.

which means the cops are lying. 

Edited September 8, 2013 by t-pain

[Kingdiamond]

you dont think they got em on tape saying some dumb donkey ?

If they did then they got what they deserved.

[bobandtorey]

  "All the search warrants were a part of the same investigation, which took place over a several month period, police said. During the investigation, undercover detectives made multiples purchases of marijuana from the suspects, who repeatedly shared that they were hiding their illegal drug activities behind the claim that they were providing medical marijuana to patients, police said."

 

(Yeah sure they did ....)

LOL anything to turn the story into the way they want

[garyfisher]

The man they arrested is a local politician in South haven who is on the November primary.  There is something funny about this.

 

He had a completely transparent dispensary in South haven last year that was ended by a rogue cop Raid em and rob em, no charges ever filed.  http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2012/04/medical_marijuana_dispensary_i.html

 

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/frank.consolino.71

 

Here is a link to his facebook.  He is running for mayor of south haven.  Or was running for mayor....

Edited September 8, 2013 by garyfisher

[garyfisher]

This is absurd.  They had 3 search warrants for drugs.  They found marijuana.  No drugs.  "suspected drug proceeds", COUNTERFEIT CLOTHING.

 

Why were they investigating the authenticity of clothing?  VERY ODDD BUST. 

[garyfisher]

Tranquility Central was formerly a medical marijuana dispensary when it was located on 2nd Avenue in the city, until a court ruling outlawed dispensaries. Police raided the store last year at the 2nd Avenue address.

 

Lt. Wayne Edington of SWET said SWET narcotics officers made and documented several undercover marijuana purchases from Consolino from his Tranquility Central store downtown this summer.

Consolino does not have a state medical marijuana caregiver's card but does have a medical marijuana patient card, Edington added.

 

Vehicles were seized under the state's civil forfeiture laws, Edington said.

 

The arrest occurred about 11 a.m. at Tranquility Central. Consolino was taken to the Van Buren County Jail in Paw Paw.

Due to prior felony arrests, Consolino is being charged as an habitual felon under the warrant, Edington said.

Prior felony arrests.  I thought if you're arrested, you're innocent until proven guilty.  He was never a convicted felon to my knowledge, so how can they charge him as a habitual felon.

[garyfisher]

Oh,  here is a link to his shops facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/tranquilitycentral2011


Can we be a little discrete??  please.

[TheHarvester]

This might the fist time I can remember there being a mention of counterfeit clothing in regards to a raid. Talk about grabbing at straws.

[Kingdiamond]

Sounds like someone creating a smear campaign to me.