Marijuana and cash was seized from a home in Kelso Monday, according to the Centralia Police Department
Local police seized two vehicles, about $51,000 in cash and about $84,000 worth of marijuana products after a massive drug investigation led Centralia police to a Kelso home.
Three people now face criminal charges: George Szerency, 62; Teresa Torres, 60; and 43-year-old Dennis McCracken. All three are from Kelso.
The investigation, which spanned two months, concluded on Monday when Centralia officers, with Kelso police and the Cowlitz County Drug Task Force, served a search warrant on a house on the 800 block of South Seventh Avenue in Kelso, according to a press release from the Centralia Police Department.
The investigation found that the Kelso-based marijuana manufacturing operation was supplying illegal marijuana to Pierce, Thurston, Lewis and Cowlitz counties, according to the release. The trio were allegedly using the cover of supplying pot to medical marijuana distributors throughout the state, which is also not legal.
“We wouldn’t be involved in that person’s drug activity unless it had a direct link to Centralia,” said Special Operations Sgt. Jim Shannon. “The drugs they sell are coming here to our community.”
If someone sells drugs in Centralia, Shannon said the officers on the Anti-Crime Unit will track down the source of those drugs, even if the source is in a different jurisdiction.
“It cuts off the supply to other dealers to our community,” he said. “We wouldn’t know about that guy if he wasn’t selling in Centralia or if his drugs weren’t coming to our town.”
They are also accused laundering the money by buying and selling used cars in order to hide large amounts of cash, according to the release.
Police were able to conduct controlled purchases of marijuana during the course of their investigation, according to Centralia police. They then got a search warrant and conducted a traffic stop on Szerency about two blocks from his house.
Police arrested him, and later located a small amount of suspected butane hash oil, according to the release. They then served a search warrant on his house where they found 10 fully mature marijuana plants, which were all about 9 feet tall, growing in his backyard.
They also found one handgun, a rifle, 21 pounds of processed marijuana, 24 grams of suspected hash oil and about $51,000 in cash, according to the release. Police also seized two vehicles, a 2004 Pontiac Bonneville and a 1997 Mercedes E320.
The seized marijuana has an estimated value of $84,000.
Szerency was booked into jail for unlawful delivery of marijuana, conspiracy to deliver 15 to 20 pounds of marijuana, unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to delivery and unlawful manufacturing of a controlled substance. All the alleged crimes were committed while armed and within 1000 feet of a school zone, so Szerecy may be charged with additional sentence enhancements on each count.
Torres was referred to the prosecutor’s office for consideration for the same charges. McCracken was also referred for consideration of charges including possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, both of which occurred within 1000 feet of a school zone, according to the release.
