[symple_googlemap title=”” location=” 13127 San Fernando Road, Sylmar, CA” height=”300″ zoom=”13″]
Police on Thursday raided and shut down a Sylmar medical marijuana dispensary and arrested its 56-year-old proprietor for allegedly operating outside the state’s compassionate use laws.
A search warrant was served at the LHR dispensary at 13127 San Fernando Road, where over $5,000 in cash and more than 25 pounds of marijuana were seized, said Lt. Paul Vernon of the Los Angeles Police Department.
A search warrant was also served at the home of the proprietor, identified as Beniamin Gulasarian, in the 1100 block of North Lamer Street in Burbank, Vernon said.
The warrants were served after Gulasarian failed to shut down the dispensary despite letters from the City Attorney’s Office ordering him to do so because the business was allegedly operating illegally, Vernon said.
“This one clinic was grossing over $100,000 per month,” Vernon said.
The operation was typical of dispensaries in Los Angeles that take advantage of laws meant to help seriously ill patients feel better, Vernon said.
One safe at the dispensary contained more than two dozen bags of marijuana, each with a street value topping $6,000, Vernon said.
Gulasarian allegedly claimed only about $20,000 of income on his last tax return, Vernon said.
“It’s not only greed; it’s criminal,” Vernon said.
Gulasarian was being held at the LAPD’s Valley Jail in Van Nuys in lieu of $30,000 bail, according to sheriff’s records.
Vernon posted images of a carnival-type wheel that patients could spin to win free or discounted marijuana and signs advertising happy hours featuring reduced pricing.
“Frankly, I’ve never seen a legitimate pharmacy operate that way, but all of the medical marijuana places operate that way,” Vernon said. “They are all competing for each other’s clients to come in there and buy their medical marijuana.”
Vernon said the same dispensary was burglarized about eight or nine months ago by thieves who entered through the roof of an adjoining business before tunneling through a wall and stealing “all the cash and pot they could get out of there.”
“This place has cost the police department and taxpayers a lot of effort and time,” Vernon said.
Gulasarian could not immediately be reached for comment and it was unclear if he had retained an attorney.
— City News Service