Marijuana Odor On Child's Clothes Leads To Dad's Grow Operation, Prison

[bobandtorey]

MARQUETTE, MI - A man whose young daughter showed up at school reeking of marijuana has been sentenced to two years in prison for an illegal grow operation.

Randall Raymond Fieck Jr., formerly of Wisconsin, moved to Dickinson in the Upper Peninsula to take advantage of Michigan's medical marijuana law, his attorney said.

Fieck pleaded guilty to manufacturing 50 or more marijuana plants, which carries a potential penalty of 20 years in prison. Police say he had 207 marijuana plants and 60 starter clones growing in a high-tech, indoor nursery that covered four rooms in a house he bought on a land contract.

Related: Marijuana odor on kindergartner's clothes leads to dad's grow operation, police say

His operation was discovered Jan. 29, 2014, when his daughter showed up for kindergarten "with a strong odor of marijuana on her clothing," Kingsford Public Safety Sgt. Joseph Menghini wrote in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Marquette.

The principal at Woodland Elementary School in Kingsford said the girl told her teacher that her dad was "growing marijuana plants in the basement of their residence and that she was not supposed to tell anyone," records said.

Police detected a strong odor of marijuana when they stopped at Fieck's house that afternoon. Fieck allegedly told police that he was a medical marijuana caregiver and refused police entry. Police said they would seek a search warrant.

Fieck left, picked up his then-6-year-old daughter at school and didn't return while police searched his home.

Police found the marijuana plants and three pounds of processed marijuana which would exceed the amount allowed under Michigan's medical marijuana law.

Police said that the grow system spanned two rooms in the basement and two rooms upstairs. High-intensity lights moved along rails to provide equal light to all of the plants. Police also found materials used to grow marijuana.

Fieck and his daughter lived in the house. He has custody and is solely responsible for her.

"He made some modifications to that home to accommodate a marijuana growing operation so he could grow medical marijuana for himself and others," attorney Karl Numinen wrote in a sentencing memorandum.

"Mr. Fieck has accepted full responsibility for his actions giving rise to the current criminal charges," the attorney wrote. "He has expressed his sincere intention to not grow marijuana again and he is no longer using prescription medications or marijuana to control his medical needs."

He said his client has many physical problems, some resulting from work injuries. He also has a history of substance abuse that began at 12 and continued until his arrest.
"Mr. Fieck is fortunate to enjoy the strong support of several members of his community and family ...," the attorney wrote.

U.S. District Judge Robert Holmes Bell said Fieck will spend three years on supervised release when his prison sentence ends.

 

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2015/03/marijuana_odor_on_childs_cloth.html

[+Malamute]

Local story for me.

 

Quite the mess.  Federal was bad, but dude was out of control. Bad situation.

 

Doesn't deserve prison,... maybe just some don't be stupid and parenting classes.  :-)

[+Malamute]

Let me also add, I know 2 other people that have had an issue with schools and kids smelling of marijuana,... neither of the other 2 received a hassle after verification the parents were patients. 2 separate incidents. 2 separate families.

[ilynnboy]

Yes you need to watch your P's and Q's.

My 11 years old's DARE officer told her that cannabis was the Most Dangerous drug of the planet!!

What a waste of resources.

Pot is Evil, Alcohol is OK.

Really?

I am just saying use good parenting skills.

Your children should not see or smell your grow.

Unless you want a visit like this man had.

Legal or not, do you want a warranted search that trashes your house and belongings ?, because of your uncontrolled odors?

Hey dude, ever hear of a carbon filter?

Edited March 6, 2015 by ilynnboy

[Quadcarl]

It's guys like this that make it hard to explain to "grandma" MMJ isn't an underground mafia thing, laced with PCP!

 

That's what she though in the early 90's

 

I tried explaining they don't give away free drugs, the PCP joint is $10 regular one $5 so no surprises! Lmao, just kidding folks, but you get my drift

[Wild Bill]

My 11 years old's DARE officer told her that cannabis was the Most Dangerous drug of the planet!!

 

[phaquetoo]

and put into foster care! 

 

I dont condone prison for any one growing but this guy obviously was breaking all of the mmp rules, no child should have stupid parents, its realy sad, he loses his weed she loses her dad!

 

Peace

[ilynnboy]

^^Agreed^^

[bobandtorey]

Police detected a strong odor of marijuana when they stopped at Fieck's house that afternoon. Fieck allegedly told police that he was a medical marijuana caregiver and refused police entry. Police said they would seek a search warrant.

 

So it's OK for Leo to get a warrant on a home just because of Odor ?

 

I don't support people that have over plant count because if you'll going to grow over your limits why even get a card imho 

[Norby]

I don't support bad people but nothing should EVER be used from a child for a prosecution unless abuse, real danger, etc. cause if that kid ever thinks she put her dad in jail, it's not good.  They think the world of their parents, even in bad relationships.  I don't have the answers but reporting she said to the cops or teachers that she wasn't supposed to tell is disgusting.

Ya, parents should never put their kids in that situation but it still rubs me wrong it was reported.

Edited March 6, 2015 by Norby

[bobandtorey]

And i can agree it does show someone what Leo will do just to stop cannabis from being used by anyone 

[Highlander]

A bad deal all the way around for sure. Smell should not create probable cause. But people need to learn how to play it safe. Some items absorb smell a lot more efficiently than others. Usually, natural materials are the worst - especially leather. In my experience, leather seems to suck-up the MJ smell and almost magnify it.

 

A few years ago, I found an antique western leather jacket at a flea market and bought it as a gift for a family member, more of a gag gift. I had the jacket hanging in my laundry room in the basement for a few weeks. Then I put it in a cardboard box and wrapped it with wrapping paper. When it was opened, you would have sworn there was a a bag of fresh shrunk weed in the pocket, the odor was that strong.

 

Another time, a friend borrowed my car and left me with his truck. I kept the truck in the garage overnight and had a paper sack of trim, stalks, etc. in the garage, waiting to be composted. I drove the truck to his house the next day and pulled into the garage. Once the door was closed, he commented that I must have brought some good meds with me, as the smell was really strong. I had no meds. It turned out that the spray-on bed liner soaked in the MJ odor. It makes perfect sense, considering the Bedliner is mostly a tar compound, which is mostly carbon.

 

I should add that I use two carbon filters and rarely have any smell issues otherwise. Before I used carbon filters, I could smell my grow 100 feet away at the end of the driveway...or maybe, LOL, it was some one else's grow. While I know we can get desensitized to the smell of fresh MMJ, once I started using carbon filters, I don't think this is the case with me. A few years ago, I'd drive the same stretch of road usually twice per day. One day, I noticed the smell of fresh MJ. Then again....and again, and finally I realized I kept smelling the MJ at about the same place each time. So I started to look closer at the houses in the area and then saw a house with a dryer vent out the side of the house, with a nearby basement window replaced by plywood and what appeared to be intake and exhaust vents through the plywood. Kinduv a dead giveaway.

 

Point of all this - even if you practice safe smell management, there are still ways for the smell to leak out. I'm my experience, the Achilles heel is natural materials (containing carbon), like leather, 100% cotten shirts, wool, etc. synthetic fabrics like nylon, polyester, and rayon are far less likely to absorb the smell.

 

If you grow MMJ at home, don't send your kid to school with a leather backpack.