Los Angeles Sheriff’s Deputy Accused of Robbing Legal Marijuana Warehouse
A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department employee and two accomplices have appeared before a federal court, accused of robbing a legal marijuana warehouse under the guise of a police raid in late October. The suspects face charges of armed robbery of a private business and intent to illegally distribute the stolen marijuana. The main defendant, Mark Antrim, a county law enforcement officer, allegedly led the robbery on October 29, posing as a narcotics bureau investigator. Together with his accomplices, Antrim managed to steal over a million dollars in cash and marijuana.
Remarkably, the Los Angeles Police Department, within whose jurisdiction the incident occurred, did not initially record the crime or begin an official investigation. It was only about a week later, when an attorney representing the robbed business reported the incident to the department’s legal division, that authorities became aware of the crime.
“Cops” in Disguise: How the Robbery Happened
The incident took place early in the morning on October 29. Mark Antrim, along with Eric Rodriguez and Kevin McBride, arrived at the marijuana warehouse in an unmarked Ford Explorer, which, according to witnesses, belonged to the Temple City Station of the Sheriff’s Department. Besides Antrim, the other two robbers wore sheriff’s department uniforms and carried service pistols and rifles, which confused the victims.
According to the victims, Antrim told them he was conducting an official police raid due to “systematic violations of county law.” Brandishing weapons and repeating that a “raid” was underway, the robbers locked all warehouse employees (three workers and two security guards) in the back seat of their vehicle. The “officers” then brought a rented van to the warehouse and began loading it with containers of marijuana and the business’s safes full of cash.
The Police Were Fooled Too
The fake narcotics raid lasted about two hours before police arrived at the scene. The police only showed up because one warehouse employee managed to hide a phone and call for help. When patrol officers arrived, Antrim’s accomplices quickly fled, but Antrim, still in uniform, managed to convince the officers that a legitimate raid was in progress. Despite being unable to provide credentials or a written warrant, the officers believed their “colleague” and left without helping the victims or attempting to detain the criminals.
In just 15 minutes of conversation, Antrim successfully distracted the police, allowing the robbers to finish loading the stolen goods and escape unnoticed. The police only learned about the robbery days later, when the attorney for the warehouse called the sheriff’s department to inquire about the supposed investigation. Once authorities realized one of the robbers was a law enforcement officer, a SWAT team was immediately dispatched to Antrim’s home. There, police found about $300,000 in cash and weapons used in the robbery. At McBride’s residence, officers also found several pounds of stolen marijuana. According to the investigation, the robbers stole about $100,000 in cash and 600 pounds of marijuana, some of which they managed to sell before being arrested.
A Dangerous Precedent?
Following the incident, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department assured the public that it would take all possible measures to punish the rogue officer. The department also promised to protect the legal marijuana market from similar crimes in the future. The fact that a law enforcement officer robbed a legal marijuana warehouse outraged the public so much that even the head of the California FBI office commented, calling the incident “a frightening example of corruption and abuse of power that fundamentally undermines public trust in government agencies.”
Meanwhile, representatives of the marijuana industry used the incident to remind the regional government that such robberies could be avoided if authorities allowed legal marijuana businesses to work with financial and insurance companies.