Four indicted on federal drug charges

By RICHARD JENKINS

rjenkins@yourdailyglobe.com

MARQUETTE — A May 10 grand jury indictment charges four defendants with a number of drug crimes related to a marijuana ring which federal prosecutors alleged the four were operating in Michigan’s Gogebic, Ontonagon, Marquette and Iron counties.

The indictment contains 10 felony counts against defendants Spencer Troy Ward, Sharon Marie Peltola, Robert Harley Stapleton and Craig Robert Asikainen in various combinations.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Maarten Vermaat made clear the indictment is only an early step in the legal process and the defendants are innocent until proven guilty.

“An indictment is just a charging document, it doesn’t mean (they have) been convicted of anything yet,” Vermaat told the Daily Globe Thursday.

The federal prosecutor’s office in Marquette declined to release information regarding the defendant’s ages and places of residence.

All four face one count of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana.

Peltola, Asikainen and Stapleton each face one count of distribution of marijuana, listed in the indictment as counts two through four, for allegedly distributing marijuana in Gogebic, Marquette and Iron counties, respectively.

Count 5 charges Peltola and Ward with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, Count 6 charges Stapleton and Ward with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and Count 7 charges Asikainen and Ward with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

Ward also faces one count of manufacturing 100 or more marijuana plants, possession with intent to distribute 100 or more marijuana plants and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

The May 10 indictment is the second indictment in the case, with an initial indictment handed down April 12 targeting only Ward.

May’s superseding indictment expands the scope of the case to the other defendants.

The superseding indictment also includes a forfeiture allegations against three properties alleged to have been used by the ring, as well $448,000. Among the targeted properties are a Paynesville Road, Bruce Crossing property in Ontonagon County; a U.S. 2, Iron River Township property in Iron County and a Rosemont Street, Watersmeet property in Gogebic County.

The indictment lists Ward as the owner of all three properties. It also asks for substitute assets of a similar value if the listed property is either unavailable or substantially diminished in value.

The case is tentatively scheduled for trial in September.