So this is the story of how the NYPD and DEA ruined Christmas. I had heard word of this show around town, but never new much more than that… The Smoking Gun reports:
DECEMBER 8–In a blow to New Yorkers who enjoyed having their premium marijuana delivered to their doorsteps, Drug Enforcement Administration agents have busted up a six-year-old pot ring calling itself the Cartoon Network that was busy preparing its festive holiday shipments before federal agents kicked in the door.
And it looks like the DEA also confiscated the list of clients for the ring… as if you don’t have enough to be paranoid about. Check out the stash as Hamburgler is the face of the “Network” for the holidays:
Just a highlight from the Investigation report:
- The organized network ran for about 6 years covering NYC Metro and Long Island
- This was a door-to-door delivery service where you phoned in your “order” and it was delivered the next day based on availability and quantity
- They ran a call center for customer support
- There were approximately 12 Couriers delivering supplies, each with Network backing of security support and legal support should they get arrested (So long as they didn’t nark)
- They kept detailed computer records of all their customers including names, addresses, phone numbers, and buyer histories
- Couriers were paid about $200 a day which is over $50,000 tax free if they didn’t work weekends like the rest of us
- The lead cartoon in this network was Joel Nebel who the DEA estimated was making revenue of $12,500 a day! With the same work week as the Courier estimate above, he was making 3.2 Million in sales a year…tax free
- It all went south for the network when an accomplice for the network was found dead in Jan 2004 with 20 lbs of weed and a customer list tied to the cartoons.
- Through surveillance, the DEA estimated the Network was receiving 400 calls a day for services
- Ultimately it was the girlfriend that was careless and brought down the final nails to the cartoon network coffin
‘Cartoon Network’ Canceled {The Smoking Gun}