Farm, House, and More of Two Ukiah Residents Confiscated After Marijuana Conviction

Cannabis growing.

Cannabis growing in northern California. [Photo from several years ago by Kym Kemp]

Press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota:

United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger today announced that Alexander Edward Heying, 33, who was sentenced last month to serve 140 months in prison after being convicted in …November 2014 of conspiracy to distribute several tons of marijuana and conspiracy to commit money laundering, was ordered on February 23, 2016, to forfeit his Ukiah, Calif., farm on which he grew marijuana, a residence in Minnetonka, Minn., a truck and two guns. Also convicted in this conspiracy were Peter Gregory Heying, 29, and Acacia Lauren Ruiz, 35. Peter Heying and Ruiz pleaded guilty in October 2014 to the charges against them and were sentenced on January 22, 2016.

As proven at trial and according to the defendants’ guilty pleas, between at least 2003 and October 2012, the Heying brothers and Ruiz conspired to distribute marijuana in Minnesota. During the course of the conspiracy, the co-conspirators were responsible for trafficking several tons of marijuana into Minnesota, primarily from large-scale grow farms in California.

As a result of the conspiracy and money laundering convictions, the United States moved to forfeit property because the property facilitated the conspiracy, including the grow farm from which marijuana was harvested and sold.

These cases resulted from an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, West Metro Drug Task Force, Southwest Hennepin Drug Task Force, West Hennepin Public Safety, Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, Medina Police Department and the Orono Police Department.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys LeeAnn Bell, Surya Saxena and Craig Baune.

 Defendant Information: Alexander Edward Heying, 33, Minnetonka, Minn.

Convicted:

  • Conspiracy to distribute marijuana, 1 count
  • Conspiracy to commit money laundering, 1 count

Sentenced:

  • 140 months in prison

Peter Gregory Heying, 29, Minnetonka, Minn.

Convicted:

  • Conspiracy to distribute marijuana, 1 count
  • Conspiracy to commit money laundering, 1 count

Sentenced:

  • Three years in prison

Acacia Lauren Ruiz, 35, Ukiah, Calif.

Convicted:

  • Conspiracy to distribute marijuana, 1 count
  • Conspiracy to commit money laundering, 1 count

Sentenced:

  • Time served

USAO – Minnesota

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18 Comments
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Excessive punishment
Guest
Excessive punishment
8 years ago

12 years in PRISON?! Non-violent crime?? When will this irrationality end. 🙁

truthhurts
Guest
truthhurts
8 years ago

Im playing the worlds smAllest violin for these assholes.

concerned neighbor
Guest
concerned neighbor
8 years ago

Right? Theres a guy in crescent city whos looking at 16 for molesting small children. Rediculas

For Real
Guest
For Real
8 years ago

This is the District of Minnesota. Imagine how much revenue could be realized if the Sacramento District (Trinity County) did any of this? Or…San Francisco?! People are operating brazenly and acting like it’s all legal and there are no federal conspiracy, laundering or RICO laws. There are.

Eastside
Guest
Eastside
8 years ago
Reply to  For Real

Question is: with all illegal grows in the Emerald Triangle and all the weed and cash generated and moved about , why is there basically a hands-off stance by Feds and local law enforcement? I can’t figure it out. They know it’s not all medical and they know people are making millions.

For Real
Guest
For Real
8 years ago
Reply to  Eastside

We all know that some 90% is being sent out of state.

For Real
Guest
For Real
8 years ago
Reply to  Eastside

We all know that some 90% of the crop is being sent out of state. It is very interesting that they allow it to happen. Most operations are quite sloppy- sloppy cars, sloppy on the phone, sloppy money handled sloppily. Busting down transportation and laundering outfits would be child’s play…if they were interested. Good thing they’re not!!

jinglejangle@yahoo.com
Guest
8 years ago
Reply to  For Real

Well they watch it leave here so they can bust everyone else down the line elsewhere, stop your bitching, Marijuana makes their wheels turn as well if you hadn’t noticed.
Bust here and a bust there, stick a guy in jail and prison that’s good business if you own a jail, but you don’t have any wealth or investments into that sector so you are ignorant to those type of dividends…
Dang this county has small minds yappin

hmmm
Guest
hmmm
8 years ago

Outrageous miscarriage of justice!

veteransfriend
Guest
veteransfriend
8 years ago

This is what prohibition looks like folks. And the new laws….more of the same.
END PROHIBITION NOW

Shortjohnson
Guest
Shortjohnson
8 years ago

Damn shame. Productive people put away in a box and society is paying for their existence. For a nonviolent crime. Total BS. This guy will be released a total mess. Nothing good comes of it.

Charles Schreiner
Guest
Charles Schreiner
8 years ago

He did not get all that for pot. The money is what got them there (dum)!They broke the law ! Dum ass shit like that screws people who are fallowing the laws! With out laws people become animals! They knew they were breaking the law! That is the problem!!!!!! This does not help the marijuana movement!!!!!!

fiveyearsaheadofmytime
Guest
fiveyearsaheadofmytime
8 years ago

No! The problem is that these ridiculous laws exist in the first place. No one should ever be locked up, for one second, for possessing or selling marijuana, and certainly not for 12years.

Poofmeister
Guest
Poofmeister
8 years ago

Damn it, this just makes it more difficult to find a seller.

brent
Guest
brent
8 years ago

Damn he was a good connection too

Ullr rover
Guest
Ullr rover
8 years ago

https://archive.org/stream/narcoDollars#page/n0/mode/2up

This will shed some light and understanding about the game the US plays…..

Skylar Nemitz Sux in Prison
Guest
Skylar Nemitz Sux in Prison
8 years ago

Skylar Nemitz executed his wife and will see less time than these guys.

Andi
Guest
8 years ago

Does the local area worry about the impact of legalization? When Cannabis is legal, there will be no reason to hide it and economy of scale will mean large grow factories with cheap labor and power available.. like in Fresno or Merced.
http://marijuananames.org