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Westchester Mom Busted For $3 Million Pot Operation In Queens
By
Max Rivlin-Nadler
Published Jun 5, 2013
Modified Jun 5, 2013
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By
Max Rivlin-Nadler
Published Jun 5, 2013
Modified Jun 5, 2013
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Yesterday, the ACLU released a study about the horrible effects of the criminalization of small amounts of marijuana. Later on, the the Feds released details about the effects of having a HUGE amount of marijuana. Mostly, the results are the same: You'll be arrested—especially if you're running a $3 million pot operation while also playing the part of wealthy suburban mom. Holler, Nancy Botwin!
Still, the story of Andrea "Andi" Sanderlin, 45, is pretty interesting. She's a Scarsdale mom who ran a massive pot-growing operation out of Maspeth, Queens. Agents found 3,000 pot plants inside of a warehouse she was renting under the business name of "Fantastic Enterprises." The warehouse was using an unusual amount of electricity, tipping off DEA agents that something was up.
And something was up: "Agents discovered two separate rooms constructed within the warehouse designed to grow marijuana. Each room contained state of the art lighting, irrigation and ventilation systems to facilitate the marijuana." According to the Smoking Gun:
The federal investigation of Sanderlin began following the April arrest of five men for their alleged roles in a marijuana grow business operating from two New York City warehouses. That organization, agents allege, was headed by Stephen Haberstroh, a 50-year-old Scarsdale resident who is a longtime friend of Sanderlin (the pair have previously shared addresses in Queens and Manhattan). Jacques Coupet, who was arrested with Haberstroh, is one of Sanderlin’s 34 Facebook friends.
One member of the busted quintet began cooperating with federal investigators and fingered Sanderlin (whom he knew as “Andi”) as the operator of “at least one marijuana grow house in Brooklyn or Queens,” according to the criminal complaint sworn by DEA Agent David Lee.
The confidential witness--who is not identified in court filings--told agents that “Andi” lived in Scarsdale, drove a Mercedes-Benz SUV, and had provided fellow traffickers with “marijuana seedling plants and large amounts of cash” that she had stored in her home. The witness also told of seeing Sanderlin at a Brooklyn gardening store making large cash purchases of “items that could be used in a marijuana grow house.” Additionally, during visits to Sanderlin's former Manhattan apartment, the source recalled seeing “large quantities of cash stacked” in her bedroom.
Sanderlin has two daughters, ages 3 and 13, and is an accomplished horse-rider who is usually rides at stables in Bronxville. She allegedly also ran a grow-house in the Bronx at 420 Tiffany Street—4-20, get it?
Her long-time nanny suspected nothing: "I just know that she told me she was going to work in the morning,” the nanny said. Neighbors confirmed that Sanderlin's home was raided, but her lawyer said his client is a "full-time mother" with no criminal record. Sanderlin, who is being held at a facility in Brooklyn, pleaded not guilty.
Tagged
grow house
marijuana
marijuana plant
pot operation
queens
weed
westchester
Max Rivlin-Nadler
Max Rivlin-Nadler has been a contributor to Gothamist since 2013. He has also reported for the New York Times, NPR, and The Intercept. His years-long investigation into New York City's arcane civil forfeiture laws led to a series of reforms which altered a practice that had been taking millions from poor communities for decades. Recently, he brought back a surfing habit from a few years on the west coast, and would love to see you all out in the Rockaways.
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