Marijuana Co-op Founder Arrested
The founder of the controversial Orange County Cannabis Co-op was arrested a second time on suspicion of selling marijuana, police said Friday.
Garden Grove police arrested Marvin Chavez, 42, of Santa Ana and a second suspect, Jack Schachter, 41, of Garden Grove on Thursday night after a monthlong investigation during which undercover investigators made several marijuana purchases at the two men’s homes and in parking lots, police said.
Large amounts of packaged marijuana were found at the homes, police said. Handguns, assault weapons and rifles also were found at Schachter’s home.
Chavez was arrested in January and charged with eight felony counts of selling marijuana. He pleaded not guilty and was released on his own recognizance. Chavez was freed on the condition that he stop selling marijuana.
The judge allowed Chavez to continue using marijuana for his degenerative spinal disease.
Chavez founded the Garden Grove-based medical marijuana co-op in 1996, just after California voters passed Proposition 215, which legalized the use of medically prescribed marijuana.
Chavez and Schachter were booked into Orange County Jail.
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