On Wednesday, May 13, 2015 narcotics detectives from Glendales Special Investigations Unit served search warrants at 5 locations spanning Glendale, Phoenix and Buckeye. Nine suspects were booked and approximately twenty more will be charged in relation to illegal drug activity.
Approximately four weeks ago, the Glendale Police Department received complaints of suspicious activity related to the 7Ten Club located at 5118 West Camelback Road. The club has been hosting “Farmers’ Markets” twice a week where vendors and customers transact marijuana. Detectives conducted both surveillance and undercover operations that included eighteen illegal marijuana transactions during which they purchased marijuana from vendors. These activities were held under the guise of our current medical marijuana laws, but were nowhere within the boundaries of those laws and regulations.
Nine suspects were taken into custody at the 7Ten Club. The nine that were arrested and booked into the 4th Avenue Jail included six vendors and the three proprietors of the business: 43 year-old Scott Malcolm Westlake of Tonopah, 53 year-old Gregg Patrick Levendoski of St. Johns and 42 year-old Joe George Flores Jr. of Phoenix. Charges included possession of marijuana for sale and illegally controlling a criminal enterprise. Booking photos and Form IV’s would be obtained from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
In total fifty pounds of high-grade marijuana, numerous items of hash oil and a quantity of methamphetamine were recovered. Also seized were thirteen firearms and U.S. currency. A residence in Glendale had the equipment necessary to operate a hash-oil extraction lab. These labs have led to explosions that cause large amounts of property damage and serious injuries.