News Release [print friendly page]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 13, 2008
Contact: Jodie Underwood
Number: (206) 553-5443

Washington Marijuana Trafficker Pleads Guilty and Forfeits $3.3 Million

FEB 13 -- (Seattle, WA) – DEA Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Arnold R. Moorin and the United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington, Jeffrey Sullivan, announced that Rusty Boschee, a resident of Los Angeles, California, pleaded guilty in U.S District Court in Seattle, Washington to Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana. As part of the plea agreement, Boschee has agreed to forfeit $3.3 million dollars in cash that was seized from him at the time of his arrest. The felony offense is punishable by up to 40 years imprisonment.

In March of 2007, Boschee rented a trailer for the sole purpose of transporting Canadian grown marijuana from Washington to other parts of the United States. Boschee parked the trailer in Stanwood, Washington, with the agreement that his co-conspirators would load the trailer with marijuana. The trailer was loaded with more than 295 kilograms of Canadian grown marijuana. Boschee drove the trailer from Washington to Illinois and New York, where he delivered the marijuana. In exchange for the marijuana, Boschee accepted $3,322,230 in cash. As part of the investigation, Wyoming Highway Patrol stopped the vehicle Boschee was driving and seized $3,322,230.

United States District Court Judge Thomas S. Zilly scheduled sentencing for May 8, 2008.

The investigation leading to the prosecution of Boschee was conducted jointly by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Tacoma, Auburn, Bonney Lake, and Puyallup Police Departments, Washington State Patrol, Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force, Denver Front Range Task Force and the Wyoming Highway Patrol.