Men try to rip off medical marijuana facility
Jan. 28—Two convicted felons were caught as they tried to steal $800,000 worth of marijuana from a medical marijuana distribution facility.
On Jan. 20, Tahlequah Police officers were called to 3000 S. Muskogee Ave. to investigate a report of a burglary in progress. Dispatch advised multiple security alarms were triggered, including a glass break and multiple interior motion alarms.
"Upon arrival, I and other officers observed a glass door on the north side of the building to be busted to the inside of the building," Cobb wrote. "I drove my patrol unit to the west side of the building to create a parameter around the building, and observed the large rolling garage door to be open all the way."
A U-Haul truck was backed into the building and a man wearing a face covering was loading a large box into the cargo area of the truck. The man saw Cobb and took off running inside the building.
Additional officers entered through the open the garage door and began to clear the building. Officer Michael Cates advised he made contact with Jeremy C. Fannin and held him at gunpoint while giving verbal commands.
"The subject complied with the commands and I was able to place him in handcuffs," said Cobb.
Fannin said two other men were with him before he was escorted outside and placed inside an officer's vehicle.
Officers came upon a room that was filled with several trash bags containing packaged marijuana. Cobb could see another man hiding behind the trash bags.
"At this time, I gave the male subject verbal commands to show me his hands. After he complied and did so, I told him to come out and after not doing so on his own, I grabbed his left wrist and placed him facedown on the ground," said Cobb.
The man, Gerald Russell Long, was arrested and officers continued to clear the building. Officer Jacob Robertson advised that security footage showed only two men entered, and officers confirmed the building was clear.
Lt. Bryan Qualls said it appeared Fannin and Long had firearms, and Cobb found a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun hidden where Long was taken into custody. Cates found a .38 Special pistol revolver inside a box where Fannin was hiding. There was also a large knife on the ground.
Sgt. Matt Frits and Cobb counted 24 cardboard boxes of pot in the truck, and each weighed 25-45 pounds. One pound is worth about $1,500. Total cost of the marijuana in the U-Haul was $862,000, said Cates.
Both men were transported to the Cherokee County Detention Center, where one of them admitted they bought the gun off the streets, and he was hired to be an "extra man for the job." Both males have previous felony charges .
Long and Fannin were booked on charges of burglary, robbery with firearm, possession of burglary tools, grand larceny, malicious injury to property, possession of firearm in commission of felony, and possession of firearm after felony conviction.
