7:30 | The Orange County Sheriff’s Department alleges that Belmont Shore Natural Care, raided by Sheriff’s deputies on November 8, was one of six collectives owned by a “silent partner” and operated as part of “a criminal organization conspiring to illegally sell marijuana.”
The allegations are made in the search warrant served on Belmont Shore Natural Care — along with five other collectives and 15 additional locations, as well as on over a dozen persons and their vehicles — during a November 8 series of enforcement actions in Long Beach, Los Alamitos, San Clemente, Santa Fe Springs, Garden Grove, Costa Mesa, and Newport Beach.
According to the warrant, in January 2009 the Sheriff’s Department received an anonymous letter claiming that a John Walker “was involved in illegal marijuana storefronts and money laundering,” and that Walker was using Long Beach attorney Rick Brizendine to “launder his money.” The Sheriff’s Department began “periodic surveillance” on Walker at this time.
In April 2010, after a four-month investigation of Dana Point Safe Harbor Collective, the Sheriff’s Department obtained a search warrant for this collective, as well for Bruce Watson, “one of the partners in the business,” and Watson’s home. The subsequent search of Watson’s home netted 200 pounds of marijuana, $700,000 in cash, and various bookkeeping paperwork related to the operations of marijuana storefronts.
From this and a search of another dispensary, Santa Ana Superior Care, the Sheriff’s Department says it “developed good intelligence” implicating Walker as a “silent partner” operating at least a half-dozen collectives (including Belmont Shore Natural Care), some or all of which were operating on a for-profit basis, a violation of California’s medical-marijuana provisions.
“Each marijuana storefront is set up in a similar manner,” the warrant states. “There is a silent partner that heads the group[,] and his name is John Melvin Walker. … Walker uses an attorney, Richard Brizendine … to give the dispensaries a cover of legitimacy.”
Brizendine “categorically denies” the Sheriff’s Department allegations, of which he says he learned only when the Long Beach Post contacted him for comment. No search warrant was obtained for Brizendine.
Brizendine confirms performing legal work for Walker and for Belmont Shore Natural Care, but says his work for BSNC did not involve Walker. “I do not believe he is a partner, silent or otherwise, in any medical marijuana collectives,” Brizendine states.
Brizendine, one of two attorneys appointed as the official counsel for the Long Beach Collective Association, describes his work on behalf of Belmont Shore Natural Care and other collectives as helping them set up to operate lawfully within the framework set up by the Compassionate Use Act and the Medical Marijuana Program Act, and says the only payment he has received from collectives is related to these services. “I don’t get involved in operations,” he says.
Carl Kemp, a lobbyist associated with Belmont Shore Natural Care who has spoken often at city council on medpot issues, released the following statement to the Long Beach Post: “It is my understanding that Mr. Brizendine was responsible for forming the corporation, obtaining sellers permits, and required State paperwork. Additionally, Rick was retained counsel for BSNC on land use and city council issues. I think he’s done this for like 30 collectives.”
Brizendine is a partner in the Long Beach law firm Evans, Brizendine & Silver. His bio on the firm’s Website says he is the son of a former Long Beach police sergeant and a member of the Board of Directors for D.A.R.E.
It is not clear from the warrant if the Sheriff’s Department regards all sales of marijuana as criminal (multiple calls to the Sheriff’s Department went unreturned), but the warrant does indicate that Walker’s alleged operations were for profit — e.g., “the partners split the profits on a negotiated percentage,” “The group uses a bookkeeper … to keep track of the sales and profits of each marijuana storefront,” etc.
Among that which the Sheriff’s Department says it seized on November 8 were 14 flat-screen televisions and $14,000 from one house, and 2 grams of methamphetamine, over $100,000 in cash, and three firearms (including an AK-47 assault rifle) from another. Both homes in question are allegedly titled to “John Walker Properties.”
From the warrant it appears the entire medicinal inventory of Belmont Shore Natural Care was seized, but nothing else.
Management members of Belmont Shore Natural Care could not be reached for comment.