Two people who face 19 criminal charges each for allegedly operating a medicinal marijuana dispensary in Olympia pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Thurston County Superior Court.
John Muise, 40, and Terrell Mizell, 33, former proprietors of The Olympia Patient Resource Center at 420 Steele St., are charged with eight counts of unlawful delivery of marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school bus stop route; nine counts of unlawful use of a building for drug purposes; one count of unlawful possession of marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school bus stop; and one count of unlawful manufacture of marijuana, court papers state.
Muise and Mizell are among 17 people arrested by narcotics detectives Nov. 15 at five medicinal marijuana dispensaries in Thurston County. They are the first to face charges.
The operation that Muise and Mizell allegedly ran has not reopened. The remaining four Thurston County dispensaries have all reopened.
Prosecuting Attorney Jon Tunheim has said criminal charges against the remaining 15 suspects are likely to follow.
During Tuesday’s court hearing, Superior Court Judge Gary Tabor allowed the defendants to be released on their personal recognizance, meaning they did not have to post bail.
Tacoma attorney Kent Underwood, who is representing Muise, has said that he expects to show at trial that his client was complying with the state’s medical cannabis law. He also said he thinks Thurston County undercover narcotics detectives engaged in fraud during operations at The Olympia Patient Resource Center. According to court records, the detectives obtained legitimate medical marijuana authorization cards under assumed names before purchasing marijuana at the dispensary during business hours as part of their undercover operations.
“It’s disturbing when law enforcement impersonates a patient,” Underwood said last week. “I expect to investigate the apparent fraud on the part of the police department and the task force.”
Jeremy Pawloski: 360-754-5445
jpawloski@theolympian.com
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