A Centreville man who authorities say was allegedly growing marijuana in another county has been charged with manufacturing marijuana with the intent to distribute.
He is Basem Samahy of 6703 Rockledge Place in the Clifton Townes community and, on July 27, he'll be 32 years old. An undercover narcotics detective detailed the case against him in a June 29 affidavit for a warrant to seek possible evidence in his home.
THE DETECTIVE — whose identity Centre View is not revealing because he works undercover — wrote that, on June 27, members of the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant on 10705 Whipperwhill Court in that county for "an illegal marijuana-grow operation."
As a result, wrote the detective, "a substantial, marijuana-grow operation, consistent with possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, was located." In addition, he noted that a receipt for Samahy, with his Centreville address, was also reportedly found there by Spotsylvania Sheriff's deputies.
The detective wrote that authorities contacted the owner of that home in Spotsylvania County and were allegedly told by him that "Basem Samahy was renting his house at 10705 Whipperwhill Court for the purpose of growing marijuana. The Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office advised that no persons were living in the residence."
The detective then conducted a police and Virginia DMV records check of Samahy and confirmed his Rockledge Place address in Centreville. He further checked via the National Criminal Information Center and discovered that, in August 1993, Samahy was charged in Herndon with possession of marijuana; and in December 1994, he was charged in Winchester with the same offense.
In his affidavit, the detective noted that it's been his experience that "individuals who cultivate marijuana of this amount (the specific amount was not listed) do so for the purpose of distributing it at a later time."
HE ALSO wrote that he anticipated a search of Samahy's home would possibly yield records and documents relating to the marijuana's sale and supply. And he hoped to find financial records reflecting amounts of marijuana sold, plus monetary amounts received or owed.
In addition, wrote the detective, "Persons who regularly cultivate marijuana also keep paraphernalia used in the cultivation and distribution of marijuana to include scales, baggies, capsules, measuring devices, smoking devices, other assorted containers, grow lights, ventilation systems, air-filtering devices, and manuals and guides for cultivation."
Last Friday, June 29, Fairfax County police charged Samahy with manufacturing marijuana with the intent to distribute. He has a Sept. 12 court date.