RUSTY BOSCHEE, 33, of West Linn, Oregon, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana. When sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Zilly on May 8, 2008, BOSCHEE faces a mandatory minimum five years in prison up to 40 years in prison. As part of his plea agreement, BOSCHEE is forfeiting to the government $3.3 million in cash that was seized from him at the time of his arrest.

According to the statement of facts in the plea agreement, BOSCHEE entered into a criminal conspiracy to distribute marijuana. He rented a trailer in March of 2007, for transporting Canadian grown “B.C. Bud” marijuana. BOSCHEE parked the trailer in Stanwood, Washington, and left it, knowing other conspirators would load it with marijuana. The trailer was loaded with more than 295 kilos of B.C. Bud. BOSCHEE then drove the load across the U.S. delivering the drugs to Chicago and New York. BOSCHEE accepted payment for the marijuana, $3,322,230 in cash. As part of the investigation, BOSCHEE was stopped by a Wyoming State Patrol Trooper with the cash in his truck on April 7, 2007. The money was confiscated. BOSCHEE was indicted on September 5, 2007.

Assistant United States Attorney Doug Whalley praised Wyoming Highway Patrol Trooper Ben Peech for his assistance in stopping Boschee’s vehicle and seizing the money in the early morning hours of April 7, 2007. “Trooper Peech was off-duty when contacted by DEA, and his alert actions led to this significant seizure. He also was careful to maintain the confidentiality of the investigation. When the federal government forfeits the money, Wyoming law enforcement will receive a share thanks to Trooper Peech’s assistance,” Whalley said.

This was an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force and the Wyoming Highway Patrol provided key assistance to the investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Doug Whalley and Special Assistant United States Attorney Adam Cornell. Mr. Cornell is a Snohomish County Deputy Prosecutor specially designated to handle drug cases in federal court.

For additional information please contact Emily Langlie, Public Affairs Officer for the United States Attorney’s Office, at (206) 553-4110.

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