• Say Bye-Bye World Grotto and Prez-Pub

Posted: **Tue Jul 18, 2006 11:53 am**

Looks like Scott West got popped by the feds for Drug Trafficing.

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/ ... 79,00.html

Government says it plans to seize West's businesses

By JAMIE SATTERFIELD, satterfield@knews.com
July 18, 2006

A prominent Market Square entrepreneur has been peddling tons of marijuana over the past 11 years and laundering his ill-gotten gains through his businesses, federal court documents allege.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Guyton arraigned Scott West, 41, on Monday on a two-count federal indictment accusing West of conspiring with his brother and two unidentified suspects to push thousands upon thousands of pounds of marijuana. He also is accused of plotting with his wife, brother and sister-in-law to hide the proceeds.

Federal court records detail a single shipment seized by authorities in Texas early Sunday that involved nearly 1,000 pounds. It represented a typical amount ferreted to the West brothers from the Southwest, according to court records.

Court records also accuse West, brother James Michael West, 42, sister-in-law Joanne Baker West, 39, and wife Bernadette Trent West, 47, of laundering a minimum of $2.5 million in drug proceeds through various bank accounts and properties, including popular Market Square businesses owned by Scott West and his wife.

Those businesses, which authorities are now seeking to seize, include Preservation Pub, Oodles Uncorked restaurant and wine bar, World Grotto and Marketplace entertainment venue and Earth to Old City gift shop.

Scott West and his wife are considered among the largest property owners and business operators in downtown Knoxville. Federal authorities have filed notice that they intend to take it all - from 28 Market Square to 320 Wall Avenue - if they win convictions in the drug trafficking case.

Posted: **Tue Jul 18, 2006 12:07 pm**

That sucks. I only went to the Grotto once, but it seemed like a nice place. I went to Preservation a couple of times, but I prefer Union Jack's setup/location.

Posted: **Tue Jul 18, 2006 12:50 pm**

nooooo... -cries-

Posted: **Tue Jul 18, 2006 1:06 pm**

Actually, I thought the businesses were up and running still...oh, nevermind, I see, they are gonna prolly seize them.

Ah well, I guess there'll be no place for the dirty hippies and trustafarians to go

.

One friend of mine said they have gotten like 2200 lbs of pot...thats...a LOT of weed.

Posted: **Tue Jul 18, 2006 1:07 pm**

that sucks. i love all of those places. there isn't going to be jack to do in knoxville again.

Posted: **Tue Jul 18, 2006 1:09 pm**

*dons kevlar vest*

That is kinda what happens though. (assuming the charges are true)

*ducks*

Posted: **Tue Jul 18, 2006 1:35 pm**

I hated to hear that. Oodles Uncorked had become one of my favorite places to go.

Posted: **Tue Jul 18, 2006 4:08 pm**

I work downtown, and currently, it's business as usual. Oodles is still open and serving lunch.

Posted: **Tue Jul 18, 2006 6:31 pm**

I really hate to hear that.

Posted: **Tue Jul 18, 2006 9:52 pm**

That really sucks! I was just taken to Oodles Uncorked by my favorite pirate, and I must say it was WONDERFUL! Well, maybe some other rich SOB will take over at least some of the businesses if they're profitable and keep them going. :-(

Posted: **Wed Jul 19, 2006 2:13 pm**

*shudders* This is going to make a mess of downtown.

Posted: **Thu Jul 20, 2006 1:07 am**

Well, rumor around the old city campfire is that Scott isn't the one that was doing all the naughty stuff mentioned in the article and that it in fact was his brother. According to the gossip fence the feds are just squeezing Scott to get the brother to fess up. Is the gossip true? I have no clue and in fact I don't even know these people other than meeting Scott in passing at the Grotto some months ago but it does sound like the kind of tactic that the Feds would embrace.

In any case, even if Mr. West is totally innocent I feel it was totally stupid for him to allow that kind of activity to be going on so close to his person when he has so much to lose for not only himself but the Knoxville community. I suppose we all will have to just wait and see how all this plays out.

Posted: **Fri Jul 28, 2006 11:56 am**

too bad you're not all in california, where we go down to the pharmacy... :lol:

Posted: **Fri Jul 28, 2006 2:23 pm**

worry not kids, a souce close to the events going on says that although the properties might be taken from the wests , they will not be closed, they would be put in the hands of a management company until such time a suitable owner could be found (could be via a public auction) but never the less, the intent is to keep the businesses open and running so as not to interfere with the commerce and redevelopment of downtown and market square

Posted: **Fri Jul 28, 2006 8:06 pm**

In any case, it's an excellent demonstration of just exactly how bad prohibition can be.

I don't care if it was 2200 tons of pot, it shouldn't be illegal.

It should just be illegal to smoke it around me.

Posted: **Fri Jul 28, 2006 9:59 pm**

DarkVader wrote:In any case, it's an excellent demonstration of just exactly how bad prohibition can be.

I don't care if it was 2200 tons of pot, it shouldn't be illegal.

It should just be illegal to smoke it around me.

So write your congressmen, start a letter campagin. The fact that it "shouldn't be illeagle" is not a defense to criminal prosecution, never has been, never will be, and never should be imho.

You do something that you KNOW is illeagle, don't be surprised if you get called on it. Use your business for it, don't be surprised if your buisness gets taken. etc etc.

-The Cop.

Posted: **Fri Jul 28, 2006 11:54 pm**

Actually, it is a defense strategy, one that has been used successfully in many cases. Jury nullification happens.

Now, it's not likely to work here, but I was making a comment on my opinion on drug prohibition, not on the legal merits of a defense in this case.

I see drug prohibition as a pure evil, something that has led to increased crime, turned the police into enemies of the people, and is turning the US into a police state. Prohibition is far worse than drugs could ever hope to be.

I'm no huge fan of recreational drugs either - smelling pot smoke makes me sick at my stomach, cokeheads are annoying, meth heads have entirely too much energy for me. And I'm terrified of needles, I don't even want to think about it.

But prohibition has a direct effect on my life. If I want to unstop my nose, I'm treated like a criminal. If I want to unstop my drain or make a bit of soap, I'm treated like a criminal. If I happened to feel like playing around with hydroponicly grown tomatoes or peppers, I have to worry about buying growing equipment putting me on a watch list.

And I don't think I should have a right to tell another adult what substance he or she might ingest, even if it's just for entertainment.

-The Civil Libertarian.

Posted: **Sat Jul 29, 2006 12:10 am**

I agree with you actually on most points. My main issue is that by doing said activities, knowing they are illegal, people should accept the consequences of their actions and such.

I'm a bit hot about this whole topic personally so I may have come off as harsher than I meant. I just separated with a girl who neglected to tell the *cough* police officer *cough* that she was dating that she was an occasional user. Naturally that was a contributing factor to the parting of ways.

Posted: **Sat Jul 29, 2006 2:21 pm**

fuckers deserve to get caught, but i have a biased opinion....

:P~

Posted: **Sat Jul 29, 2006 2:40 pm**

DarkVader wrote:I'm no huge fan of recreational drugs either - smelling pot smoke makes me sick at my stomach.

gives me a sinus headache from hell, myself. continuous and/or extreme exposure to it can, will and has resulted in sinus infections.

but i do agree that it shouldn't be illegal. i mean, hell, i'm totally within the bounds of the law to get CRUNK like a madman on sparks within the confines of my home, and i don't see much difference between that (an upper and a downer - hmm, what's that remind me of..) and pot.

But prohibition has a direct effect on my life. If I want to unstop my nose, I'm treated like a criminal.

damn skippy. and let me add that someone who's miserable, possibly in a great deal of pain, and most likely not very tolerant and/or patient at the time is not the best person to single out, and come within kicking distance after all but calling them a meth-head for buying some fucking sudafed.

it's even less wise to go all captain america and declaim said person for their loathsome, drug-riddled purchase when they just want to get the hell out of there and lay in bed the rest of the day.

needless to say, pharmacists and counter jockeys city-wide would find their transportation laden with stray masonry, if not for the restrictive policies set forth by certain fiancee's. :mrgreen: