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DEVELOPING: Feds raid residence on Batavia-Oakfield Townline Road

By Howard B. Owens

Midmorning some time, agents of Homeland Security, Secret Service, ICE and State Police raided a residence at 3618 Batavia-Oakfield Townline Road, Batavia.

The agents arrived in multiple vehicles including two black vans.

While we were on scene, agents were pulling out large and small green branches. It looked for all the world like they had cut up the family Christmas tree and were stuffing it into large black bags.

An agent on scene said, "I can't tell you anything, except those are not Christmas tree branches."

Agents also carried out boxes.

When we asked a Homeland Security investigator if we could talk to the scene commander, he said we would need to contact the public information office for information. He provided a phone number. That number is nothing but an endless loop of voice prompts, making it impossible to speak to a real person or even leave a message.

We're are continuing to try and track down further information.  

UPDATE 11:02 a.m.: Reviewing my pictures from the scene at higher magnification on the computer, the branches appear to be marijuana plants stripped of leaves (one branch still has some leaves on it, and they look like marijuana leaves). Will have pictures posted shortly.

UPDATE noon: Karen Wisnowski, spokeswoman for Homeland Security in Buffalo, confirmed there is an ongoing investigation in a joint operation between Homeland Security, Secret Service and State Police, but could not comment further. She said the case is under a court-ordered seal at this time. More information will be released once the seal is lifted.

UPDATE 5:10 p.m.: We checked in with Karen Wisnowski. No new information available yet.

Ed Hartgrove

Howard: As you have been in the "journalist" field for some time, I was just wondering if you could give me your opinion on something.

You wrote, "The agents arrived in multiple vehicles and with two black vans."

My question is:
In the "olden days", when reporting the news entailed using paper, ink, man-hours setting type, etc., would the last 5 words in the referenced sentence (and with two black vans) have been printed?

As "two black vans" would already be included in the "multiple vehicles" phrase, I would think a "hard-copy" newspaper would not waste the extra ink, paper, etc. on that addition.

Just wondering if you had an opinion on that.

Jan 23, 2015, 11:41am Permalink
Ed Hartgrove

HUH!!!
10 minutes to get a minus vote on a purely respectable, and high-priorty, question.
I truly don't understand some people.

Oops, Sorry, Howard! Guess maybe you could've provided the "minus".

;)

Now, I'd expect minuses on THIS comment. Wail away!

Jan 23, 2015, 12:02pm Permalink
Nick Taranko

Ed,

I'd say they were important words, as "large black vans" have a different import than simply "multiple vehicles". Vans imply large quantities of something that need to be removed, while vehicles implies a simple arresting of individuals.

And a print paper would also add the same items, I believe. It's an important delineation.

Jan 23, 2015, 12:20pm Permalink
Gary Spencer

Clearly, what is going in here is that the people living there were growing hemp to make rope. I think the feds should leave them alone.

Jan 23, 2015, 12:35pm Permalink
Scott Birkby

I'm guessing that the government agents stripped off the weed for themselves and confiscated the branches. At least they did their job of getting more people into the hands of the legal-prison complex.

Jan 23, 2015, 12:37pm Permalink
Ed Hartgrove

And, Nick. Your comment got me to wondering about another "pressing" matter.

It got me to thinking about the people who might buy the previously-police-owned vans at the "auctions". D'ya suppose such vehicles attract the drug-sniffing dogs when trying to visit Canada?

Jan 23, 2015, 12:40pm Permalink
Thomas Mooney

A complete waist of tax dollars . We could be taxing all that pot and it could actually help people . Instead we use agencies to the job that were not designed to do .

Where is the DEA ?

There were over 1million in salaries at the scene , so this cost the taxpayers big bucks for something that is legal is some states and is taxed .

make s zero sense especially when zero guns are involved

I feel so much safer knowing our homeland security is busting Pot growers instead of
protecting our boarders .As far as the Secret Service goes , was the president offended by the use of pot plants as Christmas tress so he sent his boys .

Stop the bleeding and trim all of these non performing agencies instead of waging a war on non violent criminals that will most likely take the prison bed of a child molester that was just released because of overcrowding

Jan 23, 2015, 12:44pm Permalink
Nick Taranko

Thomas - you're assuming it's only pot. Our laws are archaic on that, but as you noted, the complete lack of DEA involvement here is interesting.

Secret Service, ICE, and Homeland Security is a very odd and narrow range of people showing up. Will be interesting to see how this develops.

Jan 23, 2015, 1:09pm Permalink
david spaulding

Now the feds will take possession of this property and the accused's monetary assets.
Got to love our criminal justice system.... (yes, sarcasm intended)

Jan 23, 2015, 2:02pm Permalink
Tina Causyn

Ed,
You read the sentence wrong. The sentence said "The agents arrived in multiple vehicles including two black vans. The word "including" has a different meaning than "and with two black vans" It is describing what two of the "multiple vehicles" were.

Jan 23, 2015, 3:43pm Permalink
alvin tufts

Howard changes things without noting it all the time. There is no guarantee it was originally posted that way. Any corrections or modifications should be noted.

Jan 23, 2015, 4:06pm Permalink
Ed Hartgrove

You are correct, Tina. Thank you!

And, Jack. I have no intentions of calling you a joke. Not sure how that entered your thinking.

As for being sensitive about someone busting my balls, trust me, it doesn't bother me.

And, just in case Howard reads this comment, I still would like to know his opinion on my original question (even though Tina C cleared up my reading comprehension problem).

As Albert Einstein once said, "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”

Jan 23, 2015, 4:12pm Permalink
Mark Potwora

homeland security to bust a pot grower..totally crazy....what is the point of having city county and state police...just another layer of government costing us all more money,,

Jan 23, 2015, 4:12pm Permalink
Ed Hartgrove

Actually, Tina, in comment #1, I copied & pasted the sentence directly from the original article. And, originally, it did not say "including two black vans". Someone at headquarters must've changed it.
So, I hereby withdraw my "reading comprehension" remark.

And, now I've got a headache (from the Florida heat, not this thread), so, if you'll excuse me, ...

Oh, in case anyone is wondering, heat is that invisible thing NY'ers have to go inside to find - not so, down here.

:>●

Jan 23, 2015, 4:38pm Permalink
Billie Owens

I edit stories, including those already published. This is my job. I don't always catch mistakes or poor sentence structure the first go round. Readers can be helpful in this regard. Nothing dubious at work, just this old newshound.

Jan 23, 2015, 10:38pm Permalink
Brian Graz

So, what's up with this story? There is no other info showing in any web search/news media... ???

Even the WHAM post has been redacted.

Homeland security, others raid Batavia house January 23 ...
http://m.13wham.com/article?id=13709450&categoryid=1096&election=0&prov…
5 hours ago - Batavia, N.Y. - Multiple law enforcement agencies raided a home in ... executed at a residence on Batavia-Oakfield Townline Road around 9 ...

I did hear on WBEN Radio news that no one was arrested.

Jan 24, 2015, 1:04pm Permalink
Ed Glow

Well my curiosity is certainly at an "all time high" right about now! Sorry... I couldn't resist.

With all of the departments that showed up, along with the ones that weren't invited, I can't wait to find out what this is all about. There must be some specific charges going down here to not invite anybody from the county, and I'm also quite curious as to why Google spits out no hits on this news item other than links back to here.

Oh well... stay tuned and don't touch that dial folks!! You heard it here first once again, and Howard's pictorial evidence certainly can't be disputed.

Jan 24, 2015, 7:54am Permalink
Nancy Clark

appears house is owned by Call's - wondering if it was being used for migrant housing and I say a lot more to the story than we all know.

Jan 24, 2015, 12:38pm Permalink
Ed Glow

It's got to be far more than just migrant housing and there's no doubt the "greenery" that was confiscated in the pictures was just an added bonus to what they were really there for.

The Secret Service doesn't get involved with small time stuff like illegal immigrants or drug busts. There's a whole lot more going on here than we're going to hear about until after it's a done deal. And even then we probably won't hear everything.

Jan 24, 2015, 1:19pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

The reason there are no other news reports is The Batavian was the sole news outlet in WNY tipped to this raid going down (it's great to have good sources). We were the only news outlet at the house.

Since none of the agencies involved are talking, it is very difficult for other news outlets to follow up.

Only WBTA and 13WHAM have the story because they're official news partners and we openly share information. I was on the phone with both outlets while still on scene.

It's no conspiracy theory. It's just how the news business works.

I've heard all kinds of rumors, even one that sounds credible that explains the Secret Service being there, but I don't spread rumors on The Batavian.

We'll just have to wait until the indictment is unsealed. It will be unsealed when an arrest is made. An arrest will be made when authorities believe they have secured enough evidence to assure conviction. (Heck, there may already be an arrest or arrests, just not all involved yet. I don't know.)

I will say, I do have information on background only that indicates this case is bigger than this one location. But again, we'll have to wait and see when information comes out.

I'll follow up Monday, but since this is a federal case, I wouldn't be surprised if we don't learn anything for weeks, if not months.

Jan 24, 2015, 4:22pm Permalink
Doug Yeomans

The secret service would get involved if there was counterfeiting going on. From the secretservice.gov website.

What types of crimes does the Secret Service investigate?

The Secret Service has primary jurisdiction to investigate threats against Secret Service protectees as well as financial crimes, which include counterfeiting of U.S. currency or other U.S. Government obligations; forgery or theft of U.S. Treasury checks, bonds or other securities; credit card fraud; telecommunications fraud; computer fraud, identify fraud and certain other crimes affecting federally insured financial institutions.

Jan 24, 2015, 10:09pm Permalink
Kyle Couchman

As Doug said .... Financial crimes are what the Secret Service was created to do. Protecting the POTUS and other Officials while important is secondary to it's established mission...

1865 The Secret Service Division was created on July 5, 1865 in Washington, D.C., to suppress counterfeit currency. Chief William P. Wood was sworn in by Secretary of the Treasury Hugh McCulloch.

1867 Secret Service responsibilities were broadened to include "detecting persons perpetrating frauds against the government." This appropriation resulted in investigations into the Ku Klux Klan, non-conforming distillers, smugglers, mail robbers, land frauds, and a number of other infractions against the federal laws.

for more info you can check...

http://www.secretservice.gov/history.shtml

Jan 25, 2015, 8:25am Permalink

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