Police Bust Shelby Township Shop Acting As '7-Eleven Or Starbucks For Marijuana'
SHELBY TOWNSHIP (WWJ) - An unimposing Shelby Township medical supply store has been busted for illegally dispensing marijuana in assorted forms — including cereal and candy.
The alleged operation was run out of the Advance Medical Supply outlet on Van Dyke Ave., just north of 23 Mile Road, in the Shelby Square strip mall, less than a mile away from the police station.
Shelby Township Police Chief Robert Shelide said more than 50 officers — including federal agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) — took part in the raid last Friday following a two-month under cover investigation.
"We did multiple surveillance and made buys into the location and we realized that they were running...basically, acting as a 7-Eleven or a Starbucks for marijuana," Shelide said.
"We discovered multiple edibles and wax — known on the street, it's called shatter — which is all totally against the law," he said.
Shelide said four other raids took place simultaneously at the homes of five Macomb County men allegedly involved in the operation. All five were arrested and were awaiting formal charges Monday.
Along with a variety of marijuana edibles, Shelide said, officers also seized four vehicles, $10,000 in cash and 10 pounds of marijuana with a street value of around $80,000.
Other tenants at the shopping center told WWJ's Jon Hewett they thought, when the shop opened up last February, it would be dealing in equipment such as walkers, crutches and the like.
Patty Henning, who runs the neighboring Fabulous Finishes studio, said the shop seemed to serve a lot of customers. "And I'm not out to judge anybody, but honestly, for the most part, they were young kids..." she said.
The names of those in custody were not immediately released.