Opinion ID: 775981
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Graham's Drug Activity

Text: 2 Randy Graham, who is now 45 years old, lived in Battle Creek, Michigan, where he completed high school and thereafter had intermittent employment. In 1977, he joined the United States Army. He was discharged from the Army in 1978 and returned to Michigan where he held various jobs. 1 At trial, William Huggett, a close friend of Graham's, testified that Graham was a regular user of marijuana. According to Huggett, he and Graham began to sell marijuana in 1988. At that time, Graham and Huggett would also raid other people's marijuana patches. In 1989, Huggett testified that they began to grow their own marijuana. Working with Huggett, Graham planted marijuana plants indoors in Huggett's home; later, they moved their operation outdoors to nearby swamps. In 1994, their best year, they harvested forty pounds of marijuana, although Huggett stated that many years they harvested much less. 3 Local police seized Huggett's and Graham's marijuana plants and various weapons, which were stored on Huggett's uncle's property, in February 1995. In early 1996, Huggett and Graham purchased a trailer in which to grow marijuana; it was set up next to the trailer in which Graham lived. Huggett testified that they harvested 23 or 24 pounds of marijuana in 1996. In 1997, Huggett and Graham planted seven plots of marijuana plants in nearby swamps. In the summer or fall of 1997, the Southwest Drug Enforcement Team, a drug interdiction group, seized six of the seven patches of marijuana plants. Huggett testified that, in 1996 and 1997, Graham would sometimes carry with him a firearm while they were tending their marijuana patches. Huggett also testified that Graham used the money from his drug activities to purchase weapons and for living expenses.