Former Police Commissioner arrested...
 

This is a really strange story, I am surprised one of our Wolfeboro regulars hasn't posted details yet.

A former Wolfeboro Police commissioner and apparently still a property owner in town was arrested when caught transporting 900 pounds of marijuana on I-80 in Illinois. That's correct, a half ton of grass!

The arresting officer said he could actually smell the raw cannabis as he approached the truck.

Apparently the commish has no previous criminal record, but news reports claim associates in Wolfeboro are stunned.

The Granite State News story can be read HERE although channel 9 and a host of other news sources are picking up the story.

Bizarre! :eek:

Read in yesterday's newspaper, that he was stopped for like driving 70 in a 65mph zone in Illinois, and that the penalty for dealing that much pot is like 12-60 years, or something, in the slammer. Plus, he was accompanied in the pickup truck by a 71 year old female who was released with no charges.

If his truck had New Hampshire plates, then that probably heightened the officer's attention.

Hopefully for himself, he can convince a judge that a strong odor of marijuana, coming from 20 duffle bags in the bed of the pickup is simply not a reasonable cause for an IIllinois police officer to search a vehicle which was stopped for a minor speeding violation.

Hopefully????? Really?

Come on....let's stay on topic...and not wander away from this thread's first post! ....and furthermore....no comment!

The arrest was on March 27th, it sure did take a while for the news to filter out back here. Now if the guy was a town official on the west side of the lake, the Laconia Sun would have been all over it right away, it is their kind of story.

Commissioner...Shmissionner
 

The story is "around" at Wolfeboro forums: Apparently, he is out on bail and been sighted walking around the Town.

Wolfeboro "Police Commissioner" isn't as all-powerful a position as it would appear: The civilian "Wolfeboro Police Commission" was founded to keep a tight rein on a Police Chief's activities around Wolfeboro. With the hindsight given by this arrest, that Commission appears to have been operating counter to Wolfeboro's best interests. (That Police Chief eventually resigned). :(

Police "senses" have been questioned ever since marijuana appeared on the scene: A recent U.S. Supreme Court case regarding the use of an officer's senses in a traffic stop resulted in Justice Alito's minority opinion that:

At long last, no more starving lawyers in the war against illegal drug use. :rolleye1:

We HAVE indeed been talking about it on our Wolfeboro site - http://wolfnet.xrayspx.com/forums for a couple of weeks now.

However, the local NH newspapers and radio were very slow to pick it up. The more important question we're all waiting to hear is if he'll roll over on the person who funded the run or if he'll do the 12-60 in Illinois. Time will tell. I would imagine that whomever funded the project can certainly fund good lawyers too.

Maybe a spark got the load smoldering......something like the Cheech and Chong movies back in the 60's......getting everybody stoned as they passed by.

....but, Officer...
 

....but.....Your Honor....thissy here was just a little weekend side job so's to help me pay off last December's property tax....before Wolfeboro slaps a lien on me...you understand :rolleye1: ?

900 lbs
 

Wow, gonna be tough to claim "personal consumption".
"Your Honor, I always buy in bulk to save money." "By the way, got any Ring Dings?"

It is surprising it took so long to come out. I had heard about it the end of March but rumors only and it wasn't until around the 22 of April that we found the news article verifying it. He is also Supervisor of the Checklist, still, and a realtor. There was an earlier arrest of another person in town and rumor was that the DEA has been around.

...some Wolfeboro scuttlebutt
 

"The significance of the arrest is not lost on the Wolfeboro Police Department, both locally and regionally.' "While refusing to comment on the investigation, the Wolfeboro Police Chief, Stuart Chase, said there should be a presumption of innocence unless there is a conviction."
.......

"Jim is a very good, upstanding citizen, very civic-minded. I've known him since the late 1960's, and he's never had problems."

"Jim Lowy has always shown compassion and consideration for other people, and regularly assisted during town elections."

"...the last time I saw him was on election day in March of this year and he was, as always, cheerful and helpful."

"He's a very good man. I just can't believe this is true," she said.

Wolfeboro town clerk - Pat Waterman
........

"Lowry's colleagues at the Coldwell Banker real estate firm, where he worked for many years as a residential broker, also were stunned by the charges but none wanted to speak for publication."
........
Excerpted from today's www.unionleader.com, May 3, 2009, page A5, by Roger Amsden

He IS a nice guy, but the rumor has been around for years.

Maybe someone slipped those bags of pot into his truck without his knowledge.