Of the $12,515,738 seized during the drug bust, $8,923,708.19 went to 33 different law enforcement agencies across the United States, with the remaining $3,592,029.81 going to the Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Program, according to a release from U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian.
The case started on June 13, 2009, when Illinois State Police found approximately 334 pounds of marijuana hidden in a car trailer during a routine traffic stop. The drugs were intended to be transported from California to upstate New York for distribution. Through a controlled delivery executed with the Albany DEA Office, the delivery was completed, resulting in the arrest of three co-conspirators, Melissa Giove, Eric Canori and Robert Reinfurt, and eventually two others, Pamela Grosch and Sara Shafer. All five were later convicted in U.S. District Court for drug offenses.
At the time of his arrest, $1,473,543 in cash was seized from Eric Canori’s Wilton residence, along with approximately 40 pounds of marijuana. A subsequent search of a home in Ross, Calif., rented by Canori, resulted in the seizure of an additional $688,660. Law enforcement agents were later provided with the locations of buried gold and silver bars and coins, which included 172 gold bars, 161 gold coins and a 100-ounce silver bar.
The gold and silver were “recovered, forfeited and eventually auctioned. Two pickup trucks and one trailer were also seized and forfeited.”
The money was divided as follows:
New York
- Albany County District Attorney’s Office: $103,627.70
- Albany police: $473,297.05
- Bethlehem police: $85,474.76
- Columbia County Sheriff’s Office: $471,239.39
- East Greenbush police: $85,474.76
- State Department of Corrections: $471,239.39
- State National Guard: $34,407.16
- State Office of the Attorney General: $56,871.94
- State Police: $471,239.39
- New York County District Attorney’s Office: $482,146.37
- Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office: $471,239.39
- Rotterdam police:$18,518.94
- Saratoga County District Attorney’s Office: $122,146.64
- Saratoga Springs police: $467,408.37
- Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office: $452,720.45
- Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office: $46,233.03
- ‘Schenectady County Sheriff’s Office: $414,367.45
- Schenectady police: $471,239.39
- Troy police: $471,239.39
- Warren County Sheriff’s Department:$499,459.55
- Warren County District Attorney’s Office: $46,233.03
- Washington County District Attorney’s Office: $46,233.03
- Washington County Sheriff’s Office: $471,239.39
- Watervilet police: $385,951.65
Illinois
- Geneseo Police Department: $212,036.82
- Henry County State’s Attorney’s Office: $241,506.19
- Illinois State Police: $752,540.96
- Quad City Metro Enforcement Group: $241,506.19
California
- Marin Major Crimes Task Force: $172,137.03
- Petaluma Police Department: $14,560.37
- Ross Police Department: $34,427.41
- Santa Rosa Police Department: $10,261.97
Federal
- IRS: $125,483.64
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