AVONDALE, Ariz. — After an investigation by Federal and State authorities for allegedly running a methamphetamine lab and unlawfully selling iodine at a feed and tack store, Southwest Feed, The State of Arizona has issued a temporary seizure order. Federal authorities have since dropped out of the investigation and returned the two cases of seized iodine and apologized after finding no evidence of any wrongdoing. The state of Arizona is still proceeding with the seizure.
The Plaintiff’s first attorney, Jason Lamm, failed to reinstate the Plaintiff’s claims and was dismissed. New attorneys for the plaintiff, Joseph Stewart and Dennis Bassi, filed an appeal on behalf of Universal Auto Center & Southwest Feed in appellate court (Case # CV06-0349), but were informed by Charles Johnson of the State of Arizona Attorney General’s Office that the Court of Appeals had affirmed the Superior Courts’ entry of the Judgment Order of Forfeiture and the subsequent denials of post-judgment relief.
The first judge, Barry Schneider, for unknown reasons dismissed himself from the case. The new judge denied the appeal (Case #CV06-0349) and allegedly told the plaintiff’s attorneys, Dennis Bassi and Joe Stewart, that she had not read the appeal, but simply denied it.
Attorney Johnson and Katrine Nelson, also from the Attorney General’s Office, were said to have offered $25,000 to the Plaintiffs attorneys to drop the appeals. Johnson and Nelson, allegedly, threatened Bassi and Stewart after leaving court.
Accordingly, the State of Arizona is now allegedly the undisputed land grabber of approximately $3 million in real property. In addition, the City of Avondale, for $150,000, purchased one of three parcels owned by the plaintiff at the corner of Dysart and Western.
Johnson had indicated that the City of Avondale was interested in purchasing the property on Dysart Road where Universal Auto Center & Southwest Feed is located. According to the plaintiff, this may explain the $15,000 in zoning fines and three years of alleged harassment from the City of Avondale.
Seizure and forfeiture laws are in place to punish and deny “criminals” any luxury or profit gained from their illegal activities, as well they should be.
The State of Arizona has seized all of the aforementioned property, under the forfeiture and seizure laws, in the interest of “justice.” However, to this date, the plaintiff has not been charged with any criminal wrongdoing.
For more information contact:
Dennis Bassi, of Joseph Stewart & Dennis Bassi Attorneys at Law, +1-602-258-6684.
Or, Ron Vertin, Universal Auto Center & Southwest Feed, +1-623-327-1557.
[tags]Universal Auto Center, Southwest Feed, Joseph Stewart & Dennis Bassi Attorneys at Law, City of Avondale, selling iodine at a feed and tack store, Arizona business news[/tags]
