Posted on 12/06/2008 7:33:36 PM PST by madison10
PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP — An Ohio Department of Agriculture agent seized food, electronic devices and documents from a Pittsfield Township organic and natural food cooperative believed to be unlicensed, according to a search warrant filed yesterday in Lorain County Common Pleas Court.
Jacqueline and John Stowers, owners of the Manna Storehouse, 43565 SR 303, were inspected in November 2007 by the Lorain County General Health District, according to court records.
On Monday, ODA enforcement agent William Lesho confiscated hundreds of pounds of processed beef and large amounts of lamb, turkey and other perishable products in addition to office files, a computer, two cell phones and other electronic devices, according to the search warrant inventory. The items were taken to establish the Stowers' ownership in any property, records of hidden wealth or illegal income and anything that would establish illegal activity, according to the search warrant affidavit.
Jacqueline Stowers declined to comment because she had not seen the court papers yesterday evening.
A health district sanitarian and two other inspectors visited the cooperative on Nov. 30, 2007, to make observations and were told to leave. Jacqueline Stowers wrote in a December 2007 letter to the sanitarian that the inspectors never had permission to be on their property and that the Manna Storehouse is not operating a retail food establishment that requires a license.
"We declare now that we do not want to be a 'licensed retail food establishment' or a 'food service operation' and we do not plan to become one in the future and that we will not knowingly conduct any activities that would require that type of licensing," she wrote.
The matter was forwarded to the Lorain County Prosecutor's Office after the Lorain County General Health District received her letter, according to court records.
Interstate Commerce.
Thanks again, Wickard v. Filburn
/s
I searched by title. Oh, well, sorry.
It’s a different version of the same story. A little less “emotional” than the previous “first perso” style account.
It’s an odd story. Smells fishy to me; as if these people have been targeted for harrassment?
I’d like to know more.
Local commentary posted following the story is kind of interesting, too.
Agreed. More interesting than the sterile story posted in the newspaper.
Have they been trading in top secret nuclear components in addition to free ranch turkey and organic ginseng? Always thought those swine had an agenda.
Autitioning for n-0-bama’s Civilian Military Force? I’d say they passed the jack-boot test.
The items were taken because government has become a confiscatory agency, starting with the IR"S".
A different account of this here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2144492/posts
with more detail than this bland article. It would have been more dramatically written if the “bad” guys had been the police and the “good” guys were a downtrodden protected minority. Since the roles were reversed, it’s a dry report of a terrifying ordeal for this family. I hope they sue the ODA and win big.
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