Posted on 04/19/2015 4:07:37 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
A Whitefish Bay man was sentenced to nine years in federal prison Friday for running a large-scale marijuana distribution ring through his three North Shore McDonald's restaurants.
Prosecutors say Edward G. Patterson, 40, recruited his employees and a fellow Little League dad into the conspiracy, carried a gun and, once in jail, tried to hire someone to murder informants who helped agents make the case against him.
According to court records, he had started at the bottom of the McDonald's career ladder, worked his way up in the family business from laborer to manager and eventually took an ownership stake in stores in Glendale, Fox Point and Mequon.
But by 2012, he used them like a line of credit. He took money from the restaurants to buy large amounts of marijuana from California, for resale in Wisconsin, and then laundered the illicit profits back through McDonald's accounts, "in effect providing himself a short term loan," according to his lawyer's sentencing memo.
Patterson told at least one co-conspirator that he was selling marijuana to get enough money to buy the Glendale McDonald's outright, and that he was hoping to make $2 million in the pot trade because, "When they legalize it, it's all over."
Shortly after a local, state and federal task force busted the ring in 2013, the three restaurants were sold, and as part of his plea agreement, the government got $925,000 and Patterson's parents, who owned other McDonald's and a 49% stake in two of their son's businesses, got $1.1 million. Patterson gets nothing.
(Excerpt) Read more at jsonline.com ...
He understands legalization better than some FReepers.
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